Judge Jules Edwards has served in the 15th Judicial District Court for 27 years. He joined Jan Swift of Discover Lafayette to discuss what he's learned from working in the state court system and his concomitant desire to help at-risk youth address behavioral problems before they end up in jail. Judge Edwards is a candidate for Lafayette City Court Judge in the upcoming election on November 3, 2020.

A native of New Orleans and a graduate of Loyola and Loyola Law School, Jules Edwards has served as a Judge for the 15th Judicial District Court since January 1, 1993. He has been a pioneer in effectively rehabilitating offenders and turning around lives through drug courts and re-entry courts. Judge Edwards thanked his parents for stressing servant leadership and the importance of obtaining an education.

Jules Edwards, Jr., father of Judge Jules Edwards III, operated Edwards Shoe Service in New Orleans. He would famously say, "I will heel you, I will save your soul, I will even dye for you!"

Judge Edwards has distinguished himself with lifelong service to our country, state, and community. He enlisted in the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve in the summer of his freshman year in college in 1977; he served in the Louisiana National Guard until 2007, retiring as a Colonel and recognized as the best Staff Judge Advocate in the United States. At the request of Major General Gary Whipple of Louisiana, Edwards served as Inspector General, working to ensure that the units were following proper procedures. He credits his time in the military for building his character, teaching him discipline, and instilling honor and integrity into his daily actions.

"Serving in the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve taught me perseverance and how to work well with others in a selfless manner. At times, the relentless challenges we faced in training were overwhelming, but I learned that I could get through each moment, one moment at a time. "

A former Chair of the Louisiana Judiciary Commission, Edwards was inducted into the Louisiana Justice Hall of Fame in 2013. He is Past-President of the Louisiana District Judges Association.

Edwards is currently a member of the Advisory Council on Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education, and a Member of the Louisiana Drug Policy Board. He has worked with the Louisiana Sentencing Commission to assist the judiciary and the legislature in formulating and implementing a uniform sentencing policy to ensure that judges throughout Louisiana provide consistency in their rulings. Edwards has created and taught classes through the Judicial College to train judges on how to utilize evidence-based practices, and how to respond to people in highly charged environments by being attentive and respectful.

Judge Jules D. Edwards, III is married to Orida Broussard Edwards, and they have three adult children. His wife, Orida, has been practicing law since 1986, daughter Juliesa has been practicing law since 2016, daughter-in-law, Brittany started her practice in 2019, youngest son Julien is a financial advisor, and oldest son Jules, IV is a veteran, student, and co-owner of a small business.

Anytime a person is arrested in Lafayette Parish on a drug charge, they are assigned to Judge Edwards' Court. His goal is to nudge the drug offender from "'The Road to Perdition' to the road to success." He shared that "one of the principal difficulties in society is that we don't do an adequate job of socializing, there is no focused effort to develop young people's character. While this is not done on purpose, they make decisions based upon what brings pleasure at that moment. They don't think about eventual pain or how their behavior impacts others. But there are evidence-based procedures to get someone back on track."