
A New Orleans candidate’s murder conviction was tossed but the state still challenges his past
A down-ballot race for New Orleans clerk of criminal court has turned personal and contentious, as candidate Calvin Duncan faces attacks over whether he was truly exonerated for murder. Duncan, who spent decades in prison before his conviction was vacated, taught himself law while incarcerated and struggled for years access his records. He says that makes his quest to be the city’s chief criminal recordkeeper personal. However, Louisiana’s attorney general and the incumbent clerk deny his innocence, pointing to a plea deal Duncan says he accepted only to secure release. Duncan’s supporters say the accusations are an example of bare-knuckle politics in New Orleans. Voters head to the polls Saturday.








































































