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Tag: Calvin Duncan

Did faulty court data drive the legislative push to cut 11 judges and clerk in Orleans Parish?

Filings tracked by the Louisiana Supreme Court significantly undercount the number of people processed in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court in 2025.
by Katy Reckdahl April 12, 2026 Updated April 12, 2026

Louisiana Senate rejects amendment to let newly elected clerk Calvin Duncan serve his term 

In ‘deeply troubling’ move, senators pass three bills, cutting Duncan’s Orleans clerk position along with 11 New Orleans judges.
by Bernard Smith April 8, 2026 Updated April 12, 2026
Calvin Duncan speaks during his campaign for Clerk of Orleans Parish Criminal District Court in New Orleans.

Despite scant plans and heated criticism, Louisiana Senate committee passes bills to overhaul New Orleans courts

Drastic legislative cuts would eliminate 11 judgeships and would defund the position of recently elected clerk Calvin Duncan.
by Bernard Smith April 1, 2026 Updated April 12, 2026

‘I’ll fight for your rights like I fought for my own freedom’

Calvin Duncan, an uncommon man with an all-too-common story, is vying to become clerk of Orleans Parish Criminal District Court – and his campaign may have gathered enough momentum to draw fire from high-powered Louisiana officials.
by Katy Reckdahl October 10, 2025 Updated December 17, 2025
Audience members line up to ask questions during a public discussion at Dillard University in New Orleans, La., where author and criminal justice reform advocate Calvin Duncan spoke about his new memoir The Jailhouse Lawyer. The event, hosted by Baldwin & Co. Books, drew a full crowd engaged in dialogue about Duncan’s journey from wrongful incarceration to becoming a self-taught legal expert. (Photo by Gus Bennett for The Lens)

From jailhouse lawyer to clerk of court candidate

Calvin Duncan’s unfinished mission for justice moves to a race for political office
by Bernard Smith July 15, 2025 Updated January 18, 2026

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