All 16 felony charges against Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill have been dismissed by a special prosecutor, ending a contentious legal battle that consumed state politics and deepened tensions between the state’s Republican leadership and Democratic-controlled New Orleans.
Special Prosecutor Laurie White announced the dismissal Wednesday morning, less than three weeks after a New Orleans grand jury returned the indictment on July 2. The move came after the alleged victims of Murrill’s alleged crimes—Mayor Helena Moreno, District Attorney Jason Williams, and five city council members—requested the charges be dropped, citing a need to move past the conflict.
The 16-count indictment charged Murrill with eight counts of malfeasance in office and eight counts of public intimidation. The charges stemmed from letters Murrill sent in May to New Orleans officials after they supported efforts to name an interim criminal court clerk and hold a special election for the consolidated clerk’s office. The dispute arose after the state legislature abolished the Orleans Parish Criminal Clerk’s position and merged it with the civil clerk’s office.
In those letters, Murrill warned the officials they risked violating the state’s “usurper” laws, which prohibit support for an unauthorized officeholder. Murrill argued the consolidation was a necessary reform and questioned whether the proposed interim clerk appointment was legitimate under state law.
The dismissal represents a dramatic reversal in a case that prompted swift intervention by Louisiana’s Supreme Court. The high court issued a stay in the indictment the day after Murrill was charged, signaling serious concerns about the prosecution’s viability. The court cited “compelling arguments” concerning potential conflicts of interest involving White and pointed to what it called “extraordinary procedural defects and improprieties” in how the grand jury proceedings were handled.
Mayor Moreno and five of the seven city council members requested the dismissal Tuesday, writing in a letter to White that “New Orleans and Louisiana have too much at stake to remain consumed by conflict.” They argued that while the letters contained threatening language, they never believed the threats “could lawfully or practically be carried out.” They emphasized that the continuing conflict “distracts from the important work before us” and said the public interest was better served by moving forward rather than prolonging litigation.
District Attorney Jason Williams, who had recused himself and his office from the case, also wrote to White requesting dismissal. He called the prosecution a distraction from his efforts to combat violent crime in the city. Retired Judge Calvin Johnson, who received one of Murrill’s letters, submitted his own letter asking for the charges to be dismissed.
White issued a brief statement after the dismissal: “I performed my responsibilities as an appointed prosecutor in accordance with the law. It is important to understand that the grand jury brought this indictment, and that what followed was in accordance with their judgment.”
Murrill responded to the dismissal with a prepared statement, insisting the case should never have been filed. “This case should have NEVER been started because there was NO crime,” she said. “The irresponsible and illegal actions that led to this abuse of the criminal justice system need to never happen again.”
The case had become emblematic of broader political conflict between Republican Governor Jeff Landry and Murrill against the Democratic leadership of New Orleans. Landry initially vowed to pardon Murrill if she were convicted and ordered state police to investigate the grand jury, calling it a “kangaroo court.” He also vetoed more than $33 million in state funding for New Orleans projects, citing funding cuts and tensions with city leadership.
The indictment had sparked unusual procedural maneuvers. All 12 judges on the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court bench recused themselves from the case, citing conflicts of interest. The Louisiana Supreme Court appointed retired appellate Judge Robert Chaisson to oversee the proceedings. Murrill’s attorneys had alleged the grand jury process was compromised by leaks to the media and political interference, pointing to potential conflicts of interest involving White and Judge Leon Roché, who initially oversaw the grand jury and appointed White as special prosecutor.
The swift dismissal came amid escalating tensions between state and city officials over the court restructuring initiative and the city’s ongoing financial struggles. New Orleans has grappled with a significant budget deficit, and tensions between state and local leaders have complicated efforts to resolve those fiscal challenges.
It remains uncertain whether the dismissal concludes the saga entirely. Landry’s office had directed state police to investigate the grand jury, and the status of that inquiry has not been publicly disclosed.