Louisiana’s Republican attorney general was indicted Thursday on criminal charges by a grand jury in New Orleans, accused of trying to intimidate local officials who fought a law enacted by GOP legislators to overhaul the local courts.
Attorney General Liz Murrill told eight New Orleans officials, including Mayor Helena Moreno and District Attorney Jason Williams, that they could face removal from their jobs for opposing the law. It 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.
Legislators approved the law at Republican Gov. Jeff Landry’s urging just days before Calvin Duncan was to take office in May. Duncan’s supporters saw it as a move by a majority white conservative Legislature to thwart the will of voters in a predominantly Black Democratic hub in a red state.
Duncan was a jailhouse lawyer who later graduated from law school. He founded a nonprofit dedicated to expanding incarcerated people’s access to the court system and was the driving force behind a 2020 U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended nonunanimous jury convictions. Murrill and other Louisiana officials have long denied his innocence even though he is listed on the National Registry of Exonerations.
Bond for Murrill was set at $400,000 on Thursday, according to court records. Landry slammed the indictment in a social media post on Thursday, promising to pardon Murrill “as fast as the law allows.”
“The criminal justice system is a circus at its finest in Orleans and we will not have any of that!” he wrote on X, where he called the system a “Kangaroo court.”
The Republican Attorneys General Association called the indictment “as outrageous as it is dangerous.”
The GOP group said in making her statements that Murrill was simply “issuing a legal opinion and warning public officials about the law” as part of her official duties. Murrill’s critics saw it as an attempt to intimidate them into accepting the law.
Local officials had a swearing-in ceremony for Duncan on the steps of the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court two weeks before he was to take office — while lawmakers still were considering the measure to eliminate his job, combining its duties with those of the civil court clerk.
The City Council also sought to oust the civil court clerk in May and set a special election for November to fill the combined job — and give Duncan a chance to claim it. That prompted Murrill to warn local officials that they could lose their offices for violating the state “usurper” laws, which forbid support for an unauthorized officeholder.
Moreno, a Democrat, said in a statement that the indictment is “a matter for the courts” and did not directly address the allegations against Murrill.
“My focus, as always, remains on fulfilling the responsibilities the people of New Orleans elected me to carry out,” Moreno said.
Assistant District Attorney Laurie White, who is prosecuting the case, addressed reporters after the indictment.
“We’re very interested in elected officials in New Orleans not being intimidated or threatened by letter or any other way,” White said.
She said she expected the case will be “very simple” and “very open and shut.”
In response to Landry's promise to pardon Murrill, she said, "Let’s get her convicted, and then he can pardon her.”
Those who backed the law eliminating Duncan’s elected position argue that it promotes government efficiency and tries to improve a dysfunctional court system in Orleans Parish. They also said the offices of criminal and civil clerks of courts are combined in other parishes.
But Duncan has said he believes state officials were retaliating against him.
He sought compensation from the state over his imprisonment but withdrew his petition after Murrill threatened to go after his law license because he referred to hisself as exonerated. She also demanded during his campaign that he stop describing himself that way or face “further action.”
Duncan spent more than 28 years in prison in connection with a fatal shooting during a robbery in 1981.
The night before a 2011 hearing to consider new evidence, prosecutors offered to reduce Duncan’s sentence to the time he’d already served in prison if he pleaded guilty to manslaughter and armed robbery. Duncan took the deal and was freed but didn’t give up on clearing his name.
In 2021, a judge agreed that Duncan had been unjustly convicted and vacated his sentence altogether. Landry and Murrill have pointed to the 2011 plea deal in objecting to Duncan calling himself exonerated.
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This story has been corrected to show that the title of prosecutor Laurie White is assistant district attorney, not assistant attorney general.
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Associated Press reporter Jack Brook contributed from New Orleans.
FILE - Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill speaks with attendees during an election night watch party for U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Julia Letlow, R-La., May 16, 2026, in Baton Rouge, La. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton, File)
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Gaining freedom from the heat will be a challenge for the eastern U.S. heading into the long Fourth of July weekend, prompting some communities to cancel, postpone or otherwise alter their Independence Day plans.
Dangerous, record-breaking heat will continue across much of the central and eastern U.S. through Friday and will continue along the East Coast through the weekend, the National Weather Service said Thursday. Temperatures in the high 90s Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) were forecast for the Northeast; New York and Boston both hit 100 degrees Thursday. Humidity is expected to make it feel even hotter, all but ensuring that sweat will dampen spirits at many celebrations marking 250 years of American independence.
“Anywhere you go in southern New England, you will be dealing with dangerous heat today, tomorrow and Saturday,” said Bryce Williams, a meteorologist with the weather service.
In Boston, entrance to the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular will start at 4 p.m. instead of noon on Saturday because of the heat. In Philadelphia, officials shortened the route of a Thursday morning parade, canceled an afternoon all-American Block Party, and pushed back the start times of an evening picnic and concert at Independence Mall.
In Lower Windsor Township, Pennsylvania, an America 250 celebration including food trucks, games and the highway department's dump truck has been rescheduled for July 8. In Norristown, Pennsylvania, officials canceled a parade set for Saturday, citing the safety of residents, participants and first responders, though evening fireworks and an afternoon party featuring games, food, and music will go on as scheduled.
“The parade is one of our community’s most beloved traditions, and we share in the disappointment of its cancellation, especially as we celebrate America’s 250th birthday,” Interim Municipal Administrator Jayne Musonye said.
Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania moved outdoor events indoors. Amtrak, meanwhile, canceled some train routes due to the heat Thursday, including the Acela between Boston and Washington, and said others may operate with reduced speeds resulting in delays through Saturday.
A heat dome — high-pressure systems above a region that trap heat and humidity — has been smothering parts of the U.S., from the Midwest to the East Coast. Beyond the holiday festivities, officials in many communities are taking steps to keep residents safe, including opening cooling centers. In Boston, several air-conditioned museums are offering free admission to city residents, and in Providence, Rhode Island, city pools and waterparks have extended their hours.
The temperature was 98 degrees by the time the Philadelphia Phillies started their home game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday. Sixteen pallets of water bottles were given out for free.
Bill Christy, 69, of Philadelphia, was walking with two teen charges that he had brought along for company.
“They’re young, they can handle it,” he said. “I’ll just go up in the shade somewhere if I get hot.”
Nearby a fife and drum corps marched up and down the lower concourse in full uniform.
“Usually it’s wool regimental. But this is linen, it’s cool,” said Debbie Mayes of Ewing, New Jersey, part of the Washington Crossing Fife and Drums. “We’re fine. They’ve been very kind to us, letting us take breaks and providing water.”
In New York, Amanda Powell, of Little Rock, Arkansas, was among the Taylor Swift fans flocking to Madison Square Garden in hopes of seeing the superstar singer before her Friday wedding.
“It’s super hot,” she said. “Being from Arkansas, we thought we could handle the heat, but it’s been very warm.”
Central Park in Manhattan hit 100 degrees Thursday afternoon, marking the first time the iconic park reached triple digits since 2012, according to the National Weather Service.
At the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston, workers offered up frozen blocks ice with herring for the African penguins, frozen pellets to the Nigerian dwarf goats and tossed frozen treats into the enclosure of the Western lowland gorillas, who scramble to grab and gobble them up.
“All of my animals have been doing a really great job of staying under the fan, staying near a sprinkler,” zookeeper Brooke Cannon said as she offered Quinn frozen treats. “I’m running around with the hose hitting them a little bit there and there. Yeah, it’s not their favorite, but you know sometimes you got to do what you got to do to make sure that they’re not making poor choices.”
Despite the heat, the zoo had plenty of visitors - though many took time to fan themselves or stand under misters to keep cool. Others were second-guessing their decision to visit.
“It's too hot in the summer and this is not the right time to come and visit zoo,” Bhargavi Patha, who was with her husband and 14-month-old son, said as they headed to the lion enclosure. “The heat is exhausting us. We are draining and we had to drink a lot of water to see all the animals.”
As the heat bore down on New York, Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged people conserve energy by setting their air conditionings to 78 degrees — a step previous mayors, including former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, have advised — in order to avoid stressing the power grid. Nevertheless, the request drew a round of jeers from the Democratic mayor’s conservative critics online.
By early Thursday afternoon, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul was asking everyone in the state to turn air conditioners to 75 degrees (24 Celsius) or higher, avoid using appliances unnecessarily and otherwise conserve electricity. Hochul, a Democrat, cited high demand and “unexpected load challenges.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican who pokes at the mayor often on social media, responded on X “Is this what was meant by the warmth of collectivism?,” spinning a phrase the democratic socialist employed in his inaugural address back at Mamdani.
The explosive growth of data centers are adding stress to electric grids, as operators in New York state, New England and the one stretching across 13 mid-Atlantic and Midwestern states all projected that electricity demand would peak on Thursday before falling back slightly on Friday.
Operators had not issued emergency calls to reduce consumption as of Thursday evening, as usage surged roughly 40% above a normal summer day.
PJM Interconnection, which operates the grid that serves 65 million people from New Jersey to Illinois, had projected that Thursday would set an all-time high for summer electricity demand, but it fell just short of 2006's record.
To prepare, PJM had sought — and received — an order from the U.S. Department of Energy that allows utilities to force data centers and other big energy users to disconnect from the grid and switch to backup power sources, such as diesel generators, before carrying out rolling blackouts to conserve energy.
A major new Canadian hydropower transmission line to New York City had gone out of service Wednesday because of an equipment problem in Canada, but the line was repaired and back in service by 12:30 p.m. Thursday, according to operator Hydro-Québec.
Associated Press writers Daniel Gelston in Philadelphia, Jennifer Peltz, Anthony Izaguirre and Ted Shaffrey in New York, Michael Casey and Rodrique Ngowi in Boston and Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report.
Zookeeper Brooke Cannon feeds Nigerian dwarf goats frozen pellets at the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston, Thursday, July 2, 2026, to help them cope with the hot conditions. (AP Photo/Michael Casey)
An African penguin swims in their enclosure at the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston to cope with the hot weather conditions, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP/Michael Casey)
Zookeeper Brooke Cannon provides a Dexter steer at the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston, Thursday, July 2, 2026, with a block of ice containing apple slices, bananas and pears to help it keep cool amid the heat wave. (AP Photo/Michael Casey)
A pygmy hippopotamus wallows in the water in their enclosure at the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston to cope with the hot weather conditions, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP/Michael Casey)
Ruth, 11, from Burke, Va., gets cold water poured on her head to cool off at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, Thursday, July 2, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
A man plays Frisbee with friends in the Sheep Meadow of New York's Central Park, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
A man takes advantage of a sprinkler during hot weather in New York's Central Park, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Ruth, 11, from Burke, Va., gets cold water poured on her head to cool off at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, Thursday, July 2, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
A vendor pulls out a bottle of water from a tank using dry ice to keep it cold, during a heat wave at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, Thursday, July 2, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
A man wipes sweat off of his head while attending the Great American State Fair, on the National Mall, Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Visitors and members of the National Guard rest in the shade of a tent while attending the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Mickelina Papotto, of Salem, Ore., left, and Lorie Odegaard, of Gaithersburg, Md., fan themselves while waiting in line for the ferris wheel at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
