Louisiana Attorney General Murrill has been indicted by a grand jury in Orleans Parish on charges of malfeasance in office and intimidation. Less than 24 hours later the Louisiana Supreme Court stopped the process saying that proper procedures were not followed by the court and a special prosecutor.
“This indictment appears to turn the law on its head and flows from what appear to be extraordinary procedural defects and improprieties,” the court said in a filing signed by Justice Jay McCallum, a Republican.
The indictment, obtained by WWNO, includes eight counts each for the alleged offenses. The charges stem from letters Murrill sent in May to five city councilmembers, the mayor, the city attorney, and a retired judge. In these letters, she threatened legal action to remove them from office if they proceeded with a special election for the clerk of court and appointed the judge in an interim capacity.
Governor Jeff Landry has publicly stated his intent to pardon Murrill swiftly, should she be convicted. Laurie White, the special prosecutor handling the case, responded by expressing readiness to proceed with conviction, after which the governor could issue a pardon.