Arrest Warrant Issued for Louisiana AG

An arrest warrant has been issued for Louisiana's top law enforcement officer. A New Orleans grand jury on Thursday indicted state Attorney General Liz Murrill on 16 felony counts, triggering a $400,000 bond, court records show. The Republican official faces eight counts of malfeasance in office and eight counts of intimidation, each carrying a $25,000 bond, the NOLA.com reports. Murrill is accused of trying to intimidate local officials who fought a law enacted by GOP legislators to overhaul the local courts, per the AP. The law eliminated the position of Orleans Parish criminal court clerk after a man who spent decades in prison for a wrongful conviction was elected to the post with 68% of the vote.

Jurors examined whether Murrill tried to pressure New Orleans officials, including Mayor Helena Moreno and District Attorney Jason Williams, after they resisted the plan, telling them they could be removed from their positions. Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican ally of Murrill, quickly weighed in on X on Thursday, calling the proceedings a "kangaroo" process and pledging to pardon her "as fast as the law allows." The Republican Attorneys General Association called the indictment "outrageous" and said Murrill was simply "issuing a legal opinion and warning public officials about the law."