Sister Helen Prejean sues Louisiana officials over ‘secret’ settlement to slow death penalty appeals

Nun and famed anti-death penalty advocate Sister Helen Prejean has sued Louisiana’s prison pardon board and state attorney general Jeff Landry, arguing officials illegally agreed to halt numerous appeals from death row without the required public input.

“I’m suing the Louisiana Board of Pardons,” Ms Prejean, whose book inspired the film Dead Man Walking, wrote on X on Tuesday. “The Board held a secret meeting on September 29th in an attempt to thwart clemency hearings for 56 Louisiana death row prisoners. The secret meeting occurred in violation of Louisiana’s Open Meetings Law.”