Lafayette City Court Judge Jules Edwards Dies

Lafayette City Court Judge Jules Edwards has passed away at the age of 66, according to a breaking report from The Acadiana Advocate's Megan Wyatt.

Wyatt's report states that Mayor-President Monique Boulet interrupted Tuesday's City Council meeting to share the news, asking the council to pause for a moment of silence in honor of the respected judge.

A long-serving state district judge, Edwards took an unexpected turn in his career when he transitioned to city court in 2022. During his campaign, he wanted to address cases early in the legal process, hoping to prevent them from escalating. He succeeded Michelle Odinet, who resigned following the release of a viral video showing her making racially insensitive remarks.

Before serving on the city court bench, Edwards was a judge in the 15th Judicial District, retiring in 2020. In addition to his judicial service, Edwards had a distinguished military career, having served in the United States Marine Corps and achieving the rank of colonel in the Louisiana Army National Guard.

Edwards is survived by his wife of 38 years and their three children.

This is a developing story, and we will update you as more details become available. The full report is available here via The Acadiana Advocate.