Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill speaks at a Nov. 29, 2023, news conference at the Superdome in New Orleans. (Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illuminator)
Attorney General Liz Murrill has gone to federal court to end what she and other Republican state leaders consider “sanctuary city” policies in New Orleans. She is also lobbing criticism for what she considers are reduced criminal sentences in murder cases.
Murrill filed a motion Thursday with the U.S. District Court in New Orleans that would force the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office to abandon policy that limits the law enforcement agency from carrying out warrants for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) only when suspects are accused of violent crime. Deputies also cannot ask detainees about their immigration status and share that information with federal authorities.
In a social media post, the attorney general framed her legal action as aligned with President Donald Trump’s immigration policy “to end the wave of violent crime and drugs that has swept across this nation from the southern border for the last eight years.”
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“The people of Louisiana, through their representatives in the Legislature, have adamantly rejected ‘sanctuary’ policies that shield those who have broken our laws and endanger the men, women, and children of this State,” Murrill wrote.
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Through her spokeswoman, Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson said she had not seen the attorney general’s court filing as of late Thursday. The OPSO has complied with state law and a federal court consent decree that set parameters for interactions between the sheriff’s office and ICE.
“We enforce ICE detainers when doing so aligns with our legal obligations,” Hutson said in a statement.
The consent decree was issued under Hutson’s predecessor, Marlin Gusman, in 2013, following a federal lawsuit that triggered an investigation into poor conditions and maltreatment of incarcerated people at Orleans Parish Prison.
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The consent decree policy conflicts with a law the Louisiana Legislature approved last year that forbids state agencies and local governments from putting any “sanctuary city” policies in place that shield immigrants from law enforcement. If a city or parish doesn’t obey the law, the attorney general can sue in 19th Judicial District Court in Baton Rouge to compel their compliance. The state could also withhold money from a city or parish as punishment under the measure Sen. Blake Miguez, R-New Iberia, sponsored.
Murrill filed her motion to intervene in federal court because it has oversight of the OPSO consent decree.
Reduced murder sentences
Murrill announced Friday on social media that she intends to review certain murder cases in New Orleans to determine whether sentences were improperly reduced. Her statement was in response to an investigative report from WDSU-TV into convicted murderers whose sentences were reduced at the request of the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office.
“I’m continuing to conduct a very in-depth review of a large body of cases,” Murrill wrote. “There are at least 35 cases that involve first-degree or second-degree murder, where I believe that relief was improperly granted. I’m looking at mechanisms to have the convictions reinstated.”
Reached via text message, District Attorney Jason Williams said his office has been transparent about its work with the attorney general, and his staff plans to meet with Murrill once her review is complete.
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“My jurisdiction has been an outlier in past defective convictions – and that has sunk public trust in our system which has made it harder to prosecute violent crime and historically has made us less safe,” Williams wrote. “We can only have public safety in New Orleans when people believe the justice system works equally and fairly for everyone, not just the well-heeled and or connected.”
Soon after she took office in January 2024, Murrill and Williams, a Democrat, forged an agreement that allows the attorney general to prosecute criminal cases stemming from arrests by the newly established Louisiana State Police troop in New Orleans.
“I did not let party affiliations of national politics get in the way of public safety locally, and I welcome our discourse on the cases she is reviewing. We both have the same mission, making our home a safer space than we found it,” Williams wrote.
Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams, left, speaks at a Nov. 29, 2093, news conference with Gov.-elect Jeff Landry at the Superdome in New Orleans. (Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illuminator)
Gov. Jeff Landry has credited state police Troop NOLA for a dramatic reduction in crime in New Orleans. So far in 2025, there has been a 38% decrease in crime based on data provided to city council members. That includes 20 murders this year, including the 14 people killed in the New Year’s Day terrorist attack. Excluding those deaths, the city is well below the murder counts reported for the same period in the previous three years.
BATON ROUGE – Louisiana passed a state law allowing state park rangers to enforce state litter laws anywhere in Louisiana.
The increased enforcement comes alongside revamped reinforcement efforts with a hotline. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will field hotline calls and pass information to state park rangers, who if given proper information, can issue a citation.
Simple littering, such as trash flying out the back of a pickup truck, carries up to $175 in fines plus court costs. Intentional littering, such as deliberately throwing trash out of a window onto a roadway, brings up to a $250 fine. Gross littering, such as depositing large amounts of trash into a ditch or having an illegal dumpsite, carries $500 to $1,000 in fines.
Officials say crimes such as dumping violations have more in-depth processes; anyone interested can find more information at the Keep Louisiana Beautiful website.
This Week in Southeastern Athletics – September 15-21, 2025 Monday, September 15
Golf | at Grover Page Classic | Memphis, Tenn. | 8:15 a.m. Football | Inside Southeastern Football with Frank Scelfo | Brady’s | 7 p.m. | Kajun 107.1 FM | The Highway 104.7 FM | The Boss 97.7 FM/WFPR 1400 AM – Community Spotlight Guest: Scott Henderson, The Salad Station/Tommy’s on Thomas
Tuesday, September 16
Golf | at Grover Page Classic | Memphis, Tenn. | 8:15 a.m.
Thursday, September 18
Volleyball | at Texas A&M (Texas A&M Invitational) | College Station, Texas | 6 p.m.
Friday, September 19
Volleyball | vs. LMU (Texas A&M Invitational) | College Station, Texas | 3 p.m.
Saturday, September 20
Football | at LSU | Baton Rouge | SEC Network | SEC Network | Kajun 107.1 FM | The Highway 104.7 FM | The Boss 97.7 FM/WFPR 1400 AM
Volleyball | vs. New Hampshire (Texas A&M Invitational) | College Station, Texas | Noon
Sunday, September 21
Soccer | at UTRGV | Edinburg, Texas | 1 p.m. | ESPN+*
Southeastern home events in bold | All times Central | * – Southland Conference event
HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana University football and two-time defending Southland Conference champion volleyball team hit the road for nonconference play, the SLU soccer team opens Southland Conference play, the Lion men’s golf team opens the fall portion of its 2025-26 schedule and Southeastern Athletics will compete in the university’s Giving Day during this week in Southeastern Athletics.
The SLU football team (2-1) will close out nonconference play at No. 3 LSU. Saturday’s game will kickoff at 6:45 p.m. in Tiger Stadium.
The Southeastern volleyball team (5-3) will close out an eight-match road swing this week, heading to College Station, Texas to compete in the Texas A&M Invitational. The Lady Lions will face host Texas A&M Thursday at 6 p.m., Loyola Marymount Friday at 3 p.m. and New Hampshire Saturday at noon during the tournament.
The SLU women’s soccer team (1-4-2) will open league play on the road this week. Southeastern will face new league member UTRGV Sunday at 1 p.m. in Edinburg, Texas.
The Lion golf team opens the 2025-26 season this week. Southeastern will head to Memphis, Tenn. to compete in the Grover Page Classic Monday and Tuesday.
Southeastern Giving Day is set for Wednesday and is an opportunity to give back to the university, including Southeastern Athletics. Visit www.southeasterngivingday.org for more information.
On the Air
This week’s football game will be televised on SEC Network, while Thursday’s volleyball match will air on SEC Network+. Sunday’s soccer match can be seen on ESPN+.
The 2025 season of Inside Southeastern Football with Frank Scelfo will continue Monday at 7 p.m. at Brady’s in downtown Hammond. Scelfo and host Allen Waddell will discuss all things Lion football on the hour-long show weekly during the season, which airs on the Southeastern Sports Radio Network (Kajun 107.1 FM, The Highway 104.7 FM and The Boss 97.7 FM/WFPR 1400 AM).
Scott Henderson of The Salad Station and Tommy’s on Thomas will be Monday’s Community Spotlight Guest.
The same Southeastern Sports Radio Network stations will broadcast Saturday’s football game.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Athletics, follow @LionUpAthletics on X and Instagram or like /LionUpAthletics on Facebook.
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics has instituted a clear bag policy for all ticketed events. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit www.LionSports.net/clear.
OXFORD, Miss. – The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Volleyball team had the momentum in its favor each of the first two sets before Ole Miss battled back and went on to post a 3-0 win (25-20, 25-22, 25-19) on Friday, September 12 at the Gillom Athletics Performance Center in Oxford, Mississippi.
The Rebels (4-3) leaned upon 16 kills each time to overcome the pressure from the Ragin’ Cajuns (6-2) and open a 2-0 match lead. Then in Set 3, Ole Miss hit .400 and sided out at 80 percent to end the contest early.
Louisiana put itself in position to be the ones ahead 2-0 in the match, tied 13-13 midway through Set 1 and laying hold to a 17-13 advantage late in Set 2. Ultimately the offensive edge for Ole Miss, which held a 45-29 edge in kills and .391 to .176 advantage in hitting percentage for the match, paid dividends.
Both sides had balanced scoring, the Ragin’ Cajuns led by nine kills from Cailin Demps and seven kills from Grace Sweeney. The Rebels, though, were able to have four players score more than five kills led by the trio of Shayla Meyer (10), Melia Johnson (9) and Gabi Placide (9) each reaching nine scores.
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The loss snapped Louisiana’s three-match win streak, the squad ending a five-match road swing with a 3-2 mark.
Ole Miss claimed victory in its 2025 season home opener and remained unbeaten in the 2000s against UL.
Jazmine Gaston scored a kill on each of her first two swings in Set 1 as the Cajuns remained ahead early 9-7 after taking the lead at 4-3 on a Kennedy Gustafson ace.
The teams were near even with five kills apiece and both hitting .300-plus through the 13-all tie. Meyer helped the Rebels make the decisive move, scoring the tiebreaking kill and serving up an ace to gain separation for good.
Sweeney asserted herself at the onset of Set 2, scoring two aces and a kill in a personal 3-0 run that pulled Louisiana ahead 4-1, then preserved the lead with yet another early kill to make it 9-7.
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Later on, Sweeney teamed up with Harley Krause on back-to-back winners as the Cajuns stretched the lead out to 17-13. The Rebels, though, reversed course as a kill, ace and block all in succession ignited a 12-5 set-ending run that prevented Louisiana from evening the match.
With a kill on each of its first three swings in Set 3 the Rebels quickly opened a 5-3 lead and led the rest of the way. Demps, who scored five kills in the frame, began to find her groove getting two kills over a span of five rallies keeping the Cajuns within striking distance at 15-11.
Ole Miss sided out after a UL service error then came up with another timely block to advance the lead to 17-11. The teams traded side outs through Demps’ final kill of the night which made it 21-16 before the Rebels scored three straight for the final separation.
LEADING THE RAGIN’ CAJUNS Sweeney in Set 2 and Demps in Set 3 both turned in a five-kill set performance. The duo combined for 16 of the Ragin’ Cajuns’ 29 kills.
Demps’ output marked the eighth time in as many matches she’s scored at least nine kills.
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Freshman Lindsey Henry had a hand in both of the team’s blocks while Gustafson collected a team-leading eight digs.
Sweeney was a close second with six digs and setter Ryleigh Garis scooped five digs to go with her team-high tying 12 assists.
Chelsea Gilmore and Sweeney served up two aces apiece to pace the Ragin’ Cajuns to six aces.
UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA The Ragin’ Cajuns return home to E.K. Long Gym for the Ragin’ Cajuns Classic scheduled for Friday-Saturday, September 19-20.
Louisiana hosts Southern and Nicholls in the round robin event, meeting the Jaguars on Friday (Sept. 19) at 6:00 p.m. and then matching up with the Colonels on Saturday (Sept. 20) at Noon.
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The Ragin’ Cajuns Classic marks the final non-conference matches of the 2025 season. Louisiana opens Sun Belt play the following weekend, September 26-27, on the road at Texas State.
FOLLOW THE RAGIN’ CAJUNS Follow the Ragin’ Cajuns on Twitter (@RaginCajunsVB [twitter.com]), Facebook (/RaginCajunsVB [facebook.com]) or Instagram (@RaginCajunsVB [instagram.com]) to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Louisiana Volleyball.
Fans are also encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin’ Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here [apps.apple.com] for iOS/Apple platforms and here [play.google.com] for Android platforms.
