Photo: Calvin Duncan For Clerk
Calvin Duncan, a New Orleans man who spent three decades in prison for a 1981 murder before his conviction was overturned, has won Saturday's (November 15) race to serve as the city's chief criminal court record keeper, per the Associated Press.
Duncan, a Democrat, spent years fighting to clear his name after being convicted of carrying out a fatal shooting. In 2021, a judge vacated his conviction after Duncan uncovered evidence that police officers had lied in court. He is now listed in the National Registry of Exonerations.
According to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s office, Duncan won Saturday's election with 68 percent of the vote.
“Tonight is a dream that’s been forty years in the making,” Duncan said in a statement. “I hope that all those people who died in prison because we couldn’t get their records are looking down now. I hope they’re proud of me. We never stopped fighting for each other’s rights, and I will never stop fighting for yours. Thank you for this privilege.”
Duncan’s opponent, incumbent Darren Lombard, also a Democrat, repeatedly claimed during debates, advertisements, and media appearances that he was guilty of the crime. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill also denied Duncan’s innocence despite a public letter signed by more than 160 legal professionals attesting otherwise.
“The facts, the law, and the procedural history are clear: Calvin Duncan was wrongfully convicted, he has proved his innocence, and he is now fully exonerated,” the letter stated.
Duncan forced a runoff against Lombard after winning 47 percent of the vote in an October primary, slightly ahead 46 percent garnered by his opponent. Despite endorsements for Lombard from the city’s mayor-elect and other political figures, Duncan edged him out in Saturday's runoff.
“I want to congratulate Calvin Duncan on his victory,” Lombard said in a statement. “I stand ready to support a smooth and professional transition so that the important work of this office continues without interruption.”
Duncan, 62, had only an eighth-grade education when he was incarcerated, but became a legal expert while in prison, helping other inmates challenge unconstitutional practices. In 2020, Duncan’s advocacy led the U.S. Supreme Court to end non-unanimous jury convictions in Louisiana and Oregon, the only two states still allowing the practice.
Duncan said he sought the clerk position to ensure fair treatment for all and to improve the management of court records. The New Orleans criminal court system still relies heavily on paper files. In August, discarded records had to be retrieved from a landfill.
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