A man who was just elected to serve as New Orleans' chief criminal court record keeper has an extraordinary personal connection to the role. Calvin Duncan, 62, spent three decades in prison before his wrongful murder conviction was vacated. He will take office as the city's newly elected clerk of criminal court in January despite the state challenging his past.

Duncan fought for decades to clear his name after being convicted of carrying out a 1981 fatal shooting. Duncan, a Democrat, later uncovered evidence that police officers lied in court, and had his conviction tossed by a judge in 2021.

Duncan won with 68% of the vote, according to unofficial returns from the Louisiana secretary of state's office.

"Tonight is a dream that's been forty years in the making," Duncan said in a stateme

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