A New Orleans man who had his murder conviction tossed wins election as city’s chief record keeper

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A New Orleans man who spent three decades in prison before his murder conviction was vacated won election Saturday to serve as the city’s chief criminal court record keeper, despite the state challenging his past .

The city’s newly elected clerk of criminal court, Calvin 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.

Duncan is listed in the National Registry of Exonerations.

But his opponent, incumbent Darren Lombard, a Democrat, claimed during televised debates, adve