Overview
- Calvin Duncan took office Monday after a federal judge issued a 14‑day restraining order late Sunday that paused a new law eliminating the Orleans Parish criminal court clerk.
- Gov. Jeff Landry signed SB 256 last week as Act 15, which would dissolve the elected criminal clerk and shift the work to the parish’s civil clerk in the name of efficiency.
- U.S. District Judge John deGravelles said the measure was unconstitutional because it replaced an elected position with an appointed official and he barred state officials from enforcing it.
- Louisiana appealed Monday and asked a higher court to freeze the order, so the future of the office now depends on the next round of rulings.
- Duncan, an exoneree who won 68% of the vote after campaigning on better access to court records, has become a focal point in a broader fight over voter will, local control, and whether the state can change the rules after an election.