NEW ORLEANS - Attorney General Liz Murrill was indicted by an Orleans Parish grand jury on 16 counts stemming from letters she sent to New Orleans elected officials.

The indictment came roughly 24 hours after Murrill held a press conference where she said she had no confirmation a grand jury was even doing anything related to her.

According to Laurie White, Murrill faces eight counts of malfeasance in office and eight counts of intimidation and retaliation. Her bond was set at $400,000, with $25,000 for each count.

The indictment stems from letters Murrill sent to Mayor Helena Moreno, District Attorney Jason Williams and five city council members. The letters warned those officials that they risked losing their offices under state law after they moved to appoint an interim clerk and call a special election for the combined clerk of court position.

"Obviously, I stand behind the letters that I sent," Murrill said.

Shortly after the indictment, Murrill filed an emergency stay motion. The Louisiana Supreme Court granted it, saying Murrill "makes a compelling argument concerning the disturbing defects in the grand jury proceedings and in the trial court's handling of those proceedings."

In a statement following the stay, Murrill called the indictment a "political witch hunt."

"Neither the grand jury investigation law nor the public intimidation law was intended to be used as a political weapon by a rogue, biased, vindictive special prosecutor, judge and grand jury," Murrill said. "I hope the legislature in the future will ensure this cannot happen again."

Murrill said the fight is not over. "I will still need to file the necessary motions to seek a dismissal, which will be forthcoming," she said.

Gov. Jeff Landry said he ordered Louisiana State Police to investigate the "alleged improprieties of this grand jury and those who ran it." Landry also said he would pardon Murrill "as fast as the law allows."

Loyola law professor Dane Ciolino said the entire situation has been unlike anything he has seen. "Yeah, this whole thing has been unprecedented, from the investigation to the indictment to the expedited stay granted by the Louisiana Supreme Court in the early hours of a holiday morning," Ciolino said. "I haven't seen anything like this in all my years of teaching in politics."

WBRZ political analyst James Hartman said the tone of Murrill's letter may have been excessive but questioned whether it warranted criminal charges.

"The tone of General Murrill's letter back in May might have been excessively harsh, but I don't know how anybody who has even looked at criminal statutes thinks that it rises to the level of being worthy of an indictment," Hartman said.

Hartman also said Murrill and Landry hold the upper hand going forward. 

"And they could really, should they choose to, retaliate against New Orleans in any number of ways, most especially with assistance with the justice system and with other funding mechanisms that could really hamper Mayor Moreno's efforts, good efforts, to bring that city back from the brink," Hartman said.