Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry has signed legislation into law that abolishes the elected position of New Orleans criminal court clerk. This action occurred days before Calvin Duncan, a Democratic exoneree who won the post in a recent election, was scheduled to take office for a four-year term.
Proponents of the legislation, including Republican state Senator Jay Morris, stated the bill's objective was to consolidate the civil and criminal court clerks' offices in New Orleans, aligning the city with other Louisiana parishes that operate under a single clerk's office. The civil clerk position is intended to absorb the duties of the criminal clerk, despite the current existence of separate physical offices and case management systems for the two roles.
Following a temporary restraining order, Mr. Duncan was permitted to assume the clerkship as scheduled. The state's response to the order argued it would "threaten chaos." The legislative move prompted public gatherings in support of Mr. Duncan at the New Orleans criminal courthouse.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/04/louisiana-republicans-eliminate-office-democratic-exoneree
