A grand jury in New Orleans indicted Republican Attorney General Liz Murrill on Thursday, accusing her of threatening local leaders who opposed a Republican-led overhaul of the city's courts. The 16-count indictment alleges intimidation and malfeasance against Murrill, Louisiana's first female attorney general, in a case that highlights deepening political rifts between state Republicans and Democratic New Orleans officials. At issue is a new law that abolished a court clerk position won by Calvin Duncan, an exoneree who spent nearly three decades in prison, consolidating the job with another clerk's office. New Orleans leaders fiercely opposed the change, setting a special election for Duncan to compete for the newly combined job. Murrill responded by warning local officials of potential legal action for supporting an unauthorized officeholder, leading to accusations of intimidation. A special prosecutor stated that they were concerned about elected officials in New Orleans being threatened or intimidated. Bond was set at $400,000 for Murrill, and Republican Governor Jeff Landry promised a swift pardon, calling the indictment "retaliatory, meritless, and unconstitutional." The case has stirred controversy, with the Republican Attorneys General Association defending Murrill's actions as issuing a legal opinion and warning public officials about the law. Mayor Helena Moreno, a Democrat, has called the matter for the courts, while Calvin Duncan, the exoneree at the center of the controversy, believes state officials are retaliating against him. The political tensions have escalated over claims of retaliation, questions of exoneration, and the consolidation of court positions in Louisiana's most prominent city.