THE LOMBARD LETTERS

Clerk of Court Darren Lombard Cost New Orleans $610,000 in a single year

A series of letters from the District Attorney to Clerk Darren Lombard reveal a shocking level of negligence. Lombard’s failure to do his job has jeopardized public safety and cost the City more than half a million dollars in the last year alone.

WE CAN'T AFFORD FOUR MORE YEARS OF NEGLIGENCE
Illustration highlighting issues raised in letters to Clerk Lombard

What the Letters Say

According to the DA’s letters, Darren Lombard's mismanagement is not only losing the city money, it's threatening public safety, jeopardizing convictions, and delaying justice.

Delayed Justice

  • The Clerk’s failure to schedule first court appearances within legal timelines can leave people unlawfully stuck in jail.

Jeopardized Convictions

  • Lombard has failed to keep complete trial records, which increases the risk that a conviction will be overturned and require a retrial.

Missed Bond Notices

  • Lombard’s Office has failed to send required notices to bondsmen, relieving them of any financial or legal responsibility when a defendant doesn’t show up to court.

Illegal release of defendants

  • Lombard’s carelessness with paperwork led to the illegal release of defendants.

Depth of Dysfunction

  • Letters collectively document systemic failures in record keeping, notifications, and scheduling.

The District Attorney's Findings

Read the Letters

Darren Lombard's mismanagement is not only losing the city money, it's threatening public safety, jeopardizing convictions, and delaying justice.

Portrait of Calvin Duncan

Confidence & Integrity

“Time and again, Darren Lombard has demonstrated he is either unable or unwilling to perform his most basic duties as Clerk. We already knew restoring records thrown in a landfill would cost the city $1.2 million. Now we discover his negligence cost us another $610,000.

That’s $1.8 million, nearly half the Clerk’s annual budget, in a single year. We deserve a Criminal Court Clerk who takes the job seriously and is willing to put in the work. With your vote, that is exactly the kind of Clerk I will be.”

Calvin Duncan Candidate for Criminal District Court Clerk

New Orleans deserves better. We don’t have to accept dysfunction.

These are solvable problems and it’s time we elect someone who will solve them.

Paid for by Calvin for Clerk. This site summarizes public letters from the Orleans Parish District Attorney and references public statements from a campaign.