NEW ORLEANS — A fierce political battle is unfolding in the race for Orleans Parish Clerk of Court, with accusations of fraud, ethics violations, and misleading the public taking center stage.

Calvin Duncan, who is challenging incumbent Clerk Darren Lombard, spent decades behind bars before his conviction was vacated and cleared. Duncan was arrested at 19 years old and sentenced to life in prison. In 2003, the Innocence Project New Orleans took up his case and uncovered new evidence.

In 2011, Duncan was released from prison under a plea deal. In 2021, he was called back to court, where a judge vacated the conviction and permanently cleared him of the crime. He is listed in the National Registry of Exonerations.

But Attorney General Liz Murrill disputes the use of the word “exonerated.”

See Full Page