NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Calvin Duncan, a New Orleans man who spent three decades in prison before his murder conviction was vacated, was elected Saturday as the city's chief criminal court record keeper with a remarkable 68% of the vote. Duncan's journey has been marked by resilience as he fought for years to clear his name after being wrongfully convicted for a 1981 fatal shooting. His conviction was overturned in 2021 after he exposed evidence of police misconduct.
Despite efforts by his opponent, incumbent Darren Lombard, and the Louisiana Attorney General to cast doubt on his innocence, the overwhelming majority of voters trusted Duncan, a Democrat, to lead the clerk's office. Multiple legal professionals attested to his innocence in a public letter, affirming that The facts, the law, and the procedural history are clear: Calvin Duncan was wrongfully convicted.
Duncan's election victory, which came after a runoff where he narrowly beat Lombard, signifies a pivotal moment in his life—one that has been marred by injustice. Once incarcerated with only an eighth-grade education, he turned into a legal advocate inside prison, helping fellow inmates navigate the legal system and later becoming a licensed lawyer.
His advocacy has even led to significant legal changes, most notably prompting the U.S. Supreme Court to abolish non-unanimous jury convictions in Louisiana and Oregon, states that had clung to a practice rooted in racial discrimination. With a commitment to fair treatment and care for court records, Duncan aims to modernize a system that still heavily relies on paper documentation.
This reform initiative takes on added urgency following an incident where court records were mistakenly discarded, forcing officials to sort through a landfill to recover vital documents. As the new clerk, Duncan's mission is clear: ensure that the wrongful practices of the past are not repeated and that justice is accessible to all.
Despite efforts by his opponent, incumbent Darren Lombard, and the Louisiana Attorney General to cast doubt on his innocence, the overwhelming majority of voters trusted Duncan, a Democrat, to lead the clerk's office. Multiple legal professionals attested to his innocence in a public letter, affirming that The facts, the law, and the procedural history are clear: Calvin Duncan was wrongfully convicted.
Duncan's election victory, which came after a runoff where he narrowly beat Lombard, signifies a pivotal moment in his life—one that has been marred by injustice. Once incarcerated with only an eighth-grade education, he turned into a legal advocate inside prison, helping fellow inmates navigate the legal system and later becoming a licensed lawyer.
His advocacy has even led to significant legal changes, most notably prompting the U.S. Supreme Court to abolish non-unanimous jury convictions in Louisiana and Oregon, states that had clung to a practice rooted in racial discrimination. With a commitment to fair treatment and care for court records, Duncan aims to modernize a system that still heavily relies on paper documentation.
This reform initiative takes on added urgency following an incident where court records were mistakenly discarded, forcing officials to sort through a landfill to recover vital documents. As the new clerk, Duncan's mission is clear: ensure that the wrongful practices of the past are not repeated and that justice is accessible to all.
