Lafayette City Court Judge Jules Edwards III dies at 66

LAFAYETTE, La. ( KLFY ) — Lafayette City Court Judge Jules Edwards III died Tuesday night. He was 66.

The cause of death has not been released.

The New Orleans native served the city of Lafayette from 1993 to 2024, first in the 15th Judicial District Court and then in the city court .

Judge Edwards worked with the 15th Judicial District Court from 1993 to 2020 and was Chief Judge from 2001 until 2003.

In a 2022 interview with KLFY, Edwards said he wanted to run for the role of city judge so he could “get people off the wrong road onto the right road.” His campaign message to everyone was “dare to dream.” He was sworn in as a city court judge in January 2023 .

Before serving as a judge, Edwards held the roles of public defender, assistant district attorney, counsel to the Louisiana Senate’s Select Committee on Crime and Drugs, and was a partner in Edwards and Edwards Law Offices, according to the Louisiana Judicial Council National Bar Association .

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Judge Edwards enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in 1977 and served in the Louisiana National Guard from 1981 until his retirement in 2007. Per the Louisiana Judicial Council National Bar Association, Edwards retired as a Colonel of the Louisiana Guard and was recognized as the best Staff Judge Advocate in the U.S.

Among his accomplishments, Judge Edwards was inducted into the Louisiana Justice Hall of Fame in 2013. He was also the first elected African American judge to the Lafayette City Court.

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