Calvin Duncan, who was elected to New Orleans’ clerk of criminal court position, has resumed his federal lawsuit against Gov. Jeff Landry, Attorney General Liz Murrill and the law that abolished his position.
Act 15 — also called the Landry Act — combines the Orleans Parish criminal and civil clerks of court and gives the position to the civil clerk. It was part of a 2026 legislative package aimed at cutting what supporters called waste in the Orleans Parish court system. Orleans is the only parish with separate civil and criminal courts.
After a legal back-and-forth over the constitutionality of the act — which included Duncan receiving a stay that allowed him to fulfill his duties, only to be removed by an appellate court ruling just hours into his first day — the Louisiana Supreme Court upheld Act 15 in a 4-3 vote on June 1 and refused to rehear the issue…