Judge sets financial sanctions against state AG in lawsuit with Caddo Commission

SHREVEPORT, La. — A judge ordered Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill to pay more than $240,000 in penalties after earlier this year throwing out a lawsuit against Caddo Parish officials.

Special Judge John C. Davidson assessed the fees based on court costs and attorneys' fees incurred by the Caddo Parish Commission.

Murrill sued the Democratic members of the Caddo Commission last year, saying they violated violated the state’s Open Meetings Law by discussing and preparing a resolution -- outside of a public meeting -- supporting U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders when he came to Shreveport during his “Fight Oligarchy Tour.”

A majority of the commissioners later ratified the action at a public meeting. Murrill said that, too, was improper because the votes were cast electronically and not by voice as required.

Davidson dismissed the lawsuit in January. He agreed with the defendants' argument that any violation of the Open Meetings Law was addressed with the ratification vote.  

Murrill maintains Davidson's ruling was wrong as a matter of law when he said there was no meeting so the law could not have been violated. 

"Indeed, while it is factually correct that there was no meeting, the ruling misses the whole point that open meetings are required to conduct official business, and if a public body issues an official action without a meeting, it has violated the open meetings law," Murrill said in a statement.

Lawyers for the Caddo Parish officials said the lawsuit was a waste of public funds. They noted that Louisiana taxpayers will now have to cover the cost of the financial penalties assessed to Murrill. 

Now that the issue is over on the district level, Murrill said she is appealing the case. 

"I do consider this an important issue to resolve and that this reasoning would gut the open meetings law," Murrill said.