Louisiana Republicans eliminate elected office won by Democratic exoneree
Summary
Louisiana Republicans passed a new law to eliminate the elected office of clerk of New Orleans’ criminal district court just before Calvin Duncan, a Democratic exoneree, was set to take office. A federal judge issued a temporary order allowing Duncan to serve while the constitutionality of the law is reviewed.Key Facts
- Calvin Duncan, who was wrongly convicted and later exonerated, won the election for clerk of New Orleans’ criminal district court with over two-thirds of the vote.
- Governor Jeff Landry, a Republican, signed a law abolishing the criminal court clerk position days before Duncan was to start his term.
- A federal judge ruled that the law eliminating Duncan’s office is unconstitutional and temporarily blocked it from taking effect.
- Republicans say the law consolidates criminal and civil court clerk offices to improve efficiency and save money.
- The consolidation saves about $27,000 for the state and $233,000 for the city, while shifting some costs to the parish level.
- Some Democrats argue the law overrides the will of voters in a predominantly Black city and is a political move against Duncan.
- The law’s supporters expect legal challenges and point out similar reforms are planned for other judicial offices in New Orleans.
- Duncan has pledged to work on fixing the justice system that wrongly imprisoned him for nearly 30 years.
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