The Orleans Parish grand jury is continuing its investigation into whether Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill violated state law when she threatened to remove several New Orleans officials from office if they tried to appoint Calvin Johnson as Orleans Parish Clerk of Court.
That threat came after the Louisiana Legislature approved and Governor Jeff Landry signed a bill consolidating the Orleans civil and criminal clerks offices and while city leaders pursued legal challenges against the law. Murrell sent letters to Mayor Helena Moreno, District Attorney Jason Williams, and city council members threatening to invoke the state's usurper law if they attempted to seat a clerk of court other than Chelsey Napoleon after the consolidation law took effect.
Now, questions about how the matter reached the grand jury remain.
"Who knows what got this grand jury started looking into Liz Murrill," Loyola University law professor Dane Ciolino said, adding that the grand jury's investigation is perfectly legal but highly unusual.
Ciolino told WWL's Tommy Tucker that he doesn't expect this case to go far because Murrill has a Louisiana Supreme Court ruling on her side.
"At the end of the day, Liz Murrill, whatever you think of her, has been essentially vindicated by the Louisiana Supreme Court," Ciolino said. "The Louisiana Supreme Court said Chelsey Napoleon is the clerk of court in Orleans Parish, and efforts to install either Calvin Duncan or Calvin Johnson were inappropriate because, under the law as passed by the legislature and consistent with the state constitution, the clerk of court is Chelsey Napoleon, and any efforts by the city council or others to change that were not successful."
If the grand jury indicts Murrill, the pre-trial process would begin.
"Their special prosecutor will take the case to criminal district court, and the charges will be read at an arraignment," Ciolino said. "Liz Murrill will enter a 'not guilty' plea, and off we go with discovery and, ultimately, a trial."
