Louisiana
Supreme Court rules in indictment against Louisiana attorney general
Is Louisiana home to the smallest church in the world? Apparently so
Madonna Chapel in Louisiana was featured in “Ripley’s Believe It or Not” as the world’s smallest Chapel. Built in 1903, it measures only 81 square feet.
- The Louisiana Supreme Court has temporarily blocked the arrest of Republican Attorney General Liz Murrill.
- A New Orleans grand jury indicted Murrill on felony charges of malfeasance and intimidation.
- The charges relate to letters Murrill sent to city officials regarding a legislative action.
- Murrill described the indictment as a “political witch hunt,” while Gov. Jeff Landry called the grand jury a “kangaroo court.”
The Louisiana Supreme Court granted a stay early Friday morning to keep Republican Attorney General Liz Murrill from being arrested on felony charges handed down by a New Orleans grand jury July 2.
Though the Supreme Court didn’t dismiss the case against Murrill, it did pause the process and signaled in its ruling that the attorney general “is likely to succeed on the merits of a motion to quash this indictment on either a legal basis or due to apparent procedural irregularities.”
Murrill responded with a statement at 6:53 a.m. July 3.
“I’m grateful to the Louisiana Supreme Court for swiftly issuing a stay in this matter,” she said. “I hope this political witch hunt is not a harbinger of things to come, but I fear that it is. Neither the grand jury investigation law nor the public intimidation law was intended to be used as a political weapon by a rogue, biased, vindictive special prosecutor, judge and grand jury. I hope the Legislature in the future will ensure this cannot happen again.”
The grand jury returned a 16-count indictment charging Murrill with malfeasance and intimidation in the latest chapter of an ongoing feud between Murrill and Democratic city leaders.
The charges stem from letters Murrill sent to city officials, among them Mayor Helena Moreno, in May saying they risked losing their elected positions if they tried to overturn legislative action that eliminated a New Orleans criminal clerk’s elected office.
Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, who also has a fractious relationship with New Orleans city leaders, called the grand jury a “kangaroo court” and promised to pardon Murrill.
Special prosecutor Laurie White responded to Landry during a news conference after the grand jury returned its indictment, saying, “Good; let’s get her convicted and then he can pardon her.”
“We’re very interested in elected officials in New Orleans not being intimidated or threatened,” White told reporters. “It’s going to be very simple; very open and shut.”
Orleans Criminal District Judge Leon Roche had issued a warrant for Murrill’s arrest, setting bond at $400,000, but the Supreme Court stay halted that warrant.
Ironically, Murrill secured an indictment for former Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson earlier this year in the same courthouse.
Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.