A Louisiana man who spent decades in prison for a wrongful conviction briefly began work overseeing the criminal court in New Orleans. But Calvin Duncan's status was in limbo after a few hours Monday. Duncan won 68% of the vote for the clerk's position, but Republican Gov.
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Calvin Duncan, left, an exoneree who was elected Orleans Parish clerk of criminal court, gets behind his desk on the first day of his term, Monday, May 4, 2026, in New Orleans. People protest Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry’s effort to eliminate the Orleans Parish criminal court clerk position, outside Orleans Parish criminal court where Calvin Duncan, an exoneree who was elected clerk started his first day in office, Monday, May 4, 2026, in New Orleans.
Calvin Duncan, left, an exoneree who was elected Orleans Parish clerk of criminal court, greets outgoing clerk Darren Lombard in his office on the first day of his term, Monday, May 4, 2026, in New Orleans. People protesting against Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry gather outside Orleans Parish criminal court on the day Calvin Duncan, an exoneree who was elected Orleans Parish clerk of criminal court, took his first day in office, Monday, May 4, 2026, in New Orleans.
Calvin Duncan, left, an exoneree who was elected Orleans Parish clerk of criminal court, talks in his office with outgoing clerk Darren Lombard, center, and legal advisor Emily Rattner, on the first day of his term, Monday, May 4, 2026, in New Orleans. A Louisiana exoneree who won election to a New Orleans clerk seat began work Monday after a federal judge temporarily blocked the state from eliminating the position.
Calvin Duncan, left, an exoneree who was elected Orleans Parish clerk of criminal court, gets behind his desk on the first day of his term, Monday, May 4, 2026, in New Orleans. Calvin Duncan, left, an exoneree who was elected Orleans Parish clerk of criminal court, gets behind his desk on the first day of his term, Monday, May 4, 2026, in New Orleans. People protest Louisiana Gov.
Jeff Landry’s effort to eliminate the Orleans Parish criminal court clerk position, outside Orleans Parish criminal court where Calvin Duncan, an exoneree who was elected clerk started his first day in office, Monday, May 4, 2026, in New Orleans. People protest Louisiana Gov.
Jeff Landry’s effort to eliminate the Orleans Parish criminal court clerk position, outside Orleans Parish criminal court where Calvin Duncan, an exoneree who was elected clerk started his first day in office, Monday, May 4, 2026, in New Orleans. Calvin Duncan, left, an exoneree who was elected Orleans Parish clerk of criminal court, greets outgoing clerk Darren Lombard in his office on the first day of his term, Monday, May 4, 2026, in New Orleans.
Calvin Duncan, left, an exoneree who was elected Orleans Parish clerk of criminal court, greets outgoing clerk Darren Lombard in his office on the first day of his term, Monday, May 4, 2026, in New Orleans. People protesting against Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry gather outside Orleans Parish criminal court on the day Calvin Duncan, an exoneree who was elected Orleans Parish clerk of criminal court, took his first day in office, Monday, May 4, 2026, in New Orleans.
People protesting against Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry gather outside Orleans Parish criminal court on the day Calvin Duncan, an exoneree who was elected Orleans Parish clerk of criminal court, took his first day in office, Monday, May 4, 2026, in New Orleans. Calvin Duncan, left, an exoneree who was elected Orleans Parish clerk of criminal court, talks in his office with outgoing clerk Darren Lombard, center, and legal advisor Emily Rattner, on the first day of his term, Monday, May 4, 2026, in New Orleans.
Calvin Duncan, left, an exoneree who was elected Orleans Parish clerk of criminal court, talks in his office with outgoing clerk Darren Lombard, center, and legal advisor Emily Rattner, on the first day of his term, Monday, May 4, 2026, in New Orleans. NEW ORLEANS — A Louisiana man who spent decades in prison for a wrongful conviction briefly began work Monday overseeing the criminal court in New Orleans after a judge blocked the state fromYet Calvin Duncan’s day soon got messy: A higher court stepped in about 9:30 a.m. and froze that decision at the state’s request.to serve as Orleans Parish criminal court clerk.
But at the urging of Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, the GOP-controlled state LegislatureU. S. District Judge John deGravelles intervened on Sunday, saying the law eliminating the clerk position was unconstitutional because it replaced an elected office with a political appointee. He granted a restraining order while the litigation continues.
“The Court is not ruling that the state lacks the authority to abolish an agency or office writ large,” said deGravelles, noting he was “simply holding” that Louisiana’s approach violated Duncan’s constitutional rights to due process. Louisiana quickly responded with an appeal, saying the order “accomplishes nothing other than threaten chaos. ” The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a stay.
Seated inside the clerk’s office, Duncan told The Associated Press after the stay: “I am the clerk of the criminal district court, that will never change. ”A spokesperson for Duncan, Emily Ratner, later told the AP in a text message that Duncan had “ceased acting” as clerk to comply with the latest court ruling.
“He has always done his best to comply with the law and he continues to do exactly that during these unprecedented and evolving legal developments,” Ratner added. Alanah Odoms, director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana, told reporters that Duncan’s term began at midnight and it cannot be cut short under the state’s constitution. Odoms said the ACLU would continue to make this argument before the appeals court and to the U.S. Supreme Court, if necessary.
Duncan’s supporters say the attempt by a majority white conservative Legislature to eliminate Duncan’s job thwarts the will of voters in New Orleans, a predominantly Black Democratic hub in a red state. Civil rights groups warn that Duncan’s case is a preview of a coming wave of the disenfranchisement of minority voters now that the Supreme Court dismantled a key provision of the The governor signed a law Thursday to have the Orleans Parish clerk of civil court take over the responsibilities of the clerk of criminal court.
Chelsea Richard Napoleon, the civil clerk, said she is monitoring the legal case and her goal is to “adhere to the duties entrusted with me under Louisiana law. ” Landry and Republican allies said the measure consolidating the clerk’s offices improved government efficiency and aligned the parish with the rest of the state. New Orleans leaders said they were never consulted and opposed the changes.
The nonpartisan office of the legislative auditor found that eliminating the criminal clerk of court role saves the state an estimated $27,300 but the long-term costs or savings of the consolidation were unclear. The legislation also shifted about $1.1 million in state expenditures to Orleans Parish. In April, Republican lawmakers refused to consider an amendment to the law that would have allowed Duncan to serve out his term before eliminating the criminal clerk position.
At the start of the day, when he was still inside the clerk’s office, Duncan told the AP that he believed he would win the legal battle in the long run. He said he planned to spend the day getting to know employees and others at the court.
“I’m not just elated but overelated and happy that this day finally came,” Duncan said. “It’s something I’ve been working toward a very long time. This is a testament that God is still in control. ” Duncan, whose murder conviction was vacated in 2021, taught himself law behind bars and later became a licensed attorney.
He ran for the clerk position vowing to improve access to court records, electrifying many voters with his personal experience fighting to clear his name. Duncan said that despite the legal turbulence, the office’s employees will continue to process cases and oversee elections, “no matter who is the clerk. ”Based in New Orleans, Brook covers Louisiana with a focus on state government, environmental issues and infrastructure.
He is a Report for America corps member and can be reached on the secure messaging app Signal at jackbrook.88519
General News Courts Calvin Duncan Louisiana New Orleans U.S. Republican Party LA State Wire Legislation American Civil Liberties Union Politics John Degravelles Chelsea Richard Napoleon U.S. News Emily Ratner
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