Northshore District Attorney Colin Sims is now reviewing evidence of possible crimes state police say may have been committed by New Orleans city officials prior to the Orleans Parish Grand Jury's indictment of Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill.
Will we see any New Orleans officials be indicted themselves?
"(It's) very, very unlikely," Loyola University law professor Dane Ciolino said. "I think all of that is fairly doubtful."
Ciolino says based on the limited evidence that's been released, the most plausible crime in this case is someone violating the grand jury secrecy rules.
"A day or two before the grand jury indictment against Liz Murrill was publicly released, we were getting word that an indictment was coming. That shouldn't happen," Ciolino says.
However, Ciolino notes that the law doesn't prevent anyone from telling another she testified before a grand jury.
"If the mayor tells someone, 'I'm going to the courthouse to testify before a grand jury,' that wouldn't violate any grand jury secrecy rules," Ciolino said.
Ciolino pointed out that someone other than the mayor or city council members could have leaked that information. He also noted that charges of perjury, malfeasance, and other felonies in this case are a longshot, because none of the evidence that's been made public points to those crimes.
"The contradiction statute requires two sworn statements, and also, saying a letter contains threatening language and saying later on that you weren't personally intimidated can both be true," Ciolino said.
According to Ciolino, the chances of a federal court taking up this case are slim to none.
"That's even more remote than any possibility of charges in state court."
However, Ciolino says considering the twists and turns this case has already taken, you can't rule out anything.
"It's been a surprising case so far, and it may surprise us going forward once all of these materials are unsealed and reviewed by this independent D. A," Ciolino said.
