Overview
- Murrill was indicted on 16 counts on July 2 accusing her of public intimidation and malfeasance for letters sent to New Orleans officials, but the Louisiana Supreme Court quickly stayed the prosecution and allowed defensive motions to proceed.
- Retired appeals judge Robert Chaisson, appointed after the recusal of all local criminal judges, signed subpoenas that directed Orleans DA Jason Williams and special prosecutor Laurie White to produce records tracing the grand jury’s origins.
- Williams said his office never initiated or handled the indictment and has been fully recused from the inquiry, and he says records his office already produced show no communications with city officials about the indictment.
- Special prosecutor Laurie White filed a motion to quash the subpoena on July 17, calling the requests overly broad and arguing the stay did not authorize discovery into the grand jury process.
- The dispute will shape whether Murrill’s team can probe how the investigation began, a question that could determine whether the indictment stands and that has heightened political scrutiny because the attorney general denies wrongdoing and the governor has pledged a pardon if she is convicted.