The grand old criminal courthouse in New Orleans, encased by towering neoclassical columns, is a building that has altered the course of Calvin Duncan’s life at many junctures. First, in 1985, when he was sentenced to life without parole for a murder he did not commit. Then, over decades, as he fought to access his vital case records and was denied by judges the chance to relitigate his case. Later, in January 2011, he appeared here and accepted a deal that finally secured his freedom.
And then, in April of this year, on the steps outside, he placed his hand on a Bible and swore an oath that would elevate him to elected office, having won the race to become the court’s clerk – its chief administrative officer.
