Ex-inmate turned Orleans criminal court clerk; linked to Louisiana's clerk position abolition and related indictments surrounding local prosecutors and officials.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has signed legislation abolishing the Orleans Parish clerk of criminal court, consolidating civil and criminal clerks into a single office. Supporters say the move improves efficiency and reduces costs; opponents call it an overreach that could disenfranchise voters in a predominantly Black parish. Calvin Duncan, who was exonerated after decades in prison, had been elected to the post and had planned to take office this month.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has been indicted on 16 counts including intimidation and malfeasance related to her alleged actions against New Orleans officials over a law eliminating the Orleans Parish clerk post. The stay issued by the state Supreme Court delays the case as political tensions widen between state Republicans and New Orleans Democrats.