Louisiana AG is indicted by grand jury in fight over court changes

Key Points:

• Louisiana Republican Attorney General Liz Murrill was indicted by a New Orleans grand jury for allegedly trying to intimidate local officials who opposed a GOP-backed law that abolished the Orleans Parish criminal court clerk position.
• The law, pushed by GOP legislators and Gov. Jeff Landry, targeted Calvin Duncan, a former wrongfully convicted man elected to the clerk post, seen by supporters as an effort to override voter choice in a predominantly Black Democratic area.
• Murrill warned local officials, including Mayor Helena Moreno and District Attorney Jason Williams, they could be removed from office for opposing the law, leading critics to accuse her of intimidation while GOP supporters claim she was issuing a legal opinion.
• Bond for Murrill was set at $400,000, with Gov. Landry vowing to pardon her, while prosecutors emphasized the case is straightforward and focused on preventing intimidation of elected officials.
• Supporters argue the law improves court efficiency by combining clerk offices, but Duncan and his backers view it as retaliation; Duncan spent over 28 years in prison before his conviction was vacated in 2021.