JCL announces election of new officers

By: Louisiana Supreme Court

New Orleans, LA─ The Judiciary Commission of Louisiana announces the election of Suzanne H. Stinson as Commission Chair, and Third Judicial District Court Judge Bruce E. Hampton as Vice-Chair of the Judiciary Commission.

Suzanne Stinson, a citizen member of the Commission, was elected to serve as Commission Chair through the end of her term on March 21, 2025, succeeding Orleans Criminal District Court Judge Robin D. Pittman. Ms. Stinson began working at the 26th Judicial Court District in 1982 and was appointed court administrator in 1996 until her retirement in 2014. Ms. Stinson graduated magnacum laude with her bachelor’s degree in 1988, a master’s degree in business administration in 1992, and a second master’s degree in industrial/organizational psychology in 1994, all from Louisiana Tech University. She served in the Louisiana Army National Guard from 1979 to 1982.
Ms. Stinson is a Fellow of the Institute for Court Management and received her Certificate of Judicial Administration from Michigan State University. She is a past president of the National Association for Court Management, served on the board of directors for the International Association of Court Management, served as president of the Louisiana Court Administrators Association, and serves as the President of the Board of Directors for Geaux4Kids. She served two consecutive terms on the Board of Directors for the National Center for State Courts (NCSC), and currently serves on the Editorial Board for Trends in State Courts, an annual publication by the NCSC. She previously served on the Judicial Compensation Commission, the Court Rules Committee, the Advisory Committee to the Performance Audit on Jury Practices, the Disaster Recovery Planning Committee, and the Louisiana Integrated Juvenile Justice Information System Committee. Upon retirement, she performed consulting work in the Bahamas. Ms. Stinson is currently serving a second term on the Commission, having been appointed by the Louisiana District Judges Association.

Judge Bruce Hampton was elected by Commission members to serve as Vice-Chair for a one-year term, succeeding Suzanne Stinson. He earned his bachelor’s degree cum laude from Louisiana Tech University in 1978, his juris doctor degree magna cum laude from Tulane University School of Law in 1981, and his master of laws degree from Southern Methodist University in 1990. Prior to his election to the bench in 2018, he practiced law for over 37 years in Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi. He worked as an assistant district attorney for 18 years, prosecuting felony and misdemeanor cases and handling drug court, juvenile court, and serving as counsel for the Union Parish Police Jury. He also served as an indigent defender for 10 years in the Third Judicial District. Judge Hampton is a member of the American Judges Association and the Louisiana District Judges Association (currently serving as Treasurer), was appointed to the Executive Board of the District Judges Association in 2021, and is a member of the Louisiana State Law Institute. Judge Hampton is a supporter of the Judges in the Classroom Program. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Ruston, Farmerville Lions Club, Ruston-Lincoln, and Union Parish Chambers of Commerce, the Bernice Business Club, and St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church. The Judiciary Commission of Louisiana is a nine-member constitutionally created body empowered to review allegations of judicial misconduct and to recommend to the Supreme Court appropriate discipline when misconduct is proven by clear and convincing evidence. The members of the Commission are volunteers and serve on a part-time basis. To learn more about the Judiciary Commission of Louisiana, visit https://judiciarycommissionla.org/.

For more information visit lasc.org or contact Louisiana Supreme Court Public Information Specialist/Coordinator Trina S. Vincent at tvincent@lasc.org or (504) 310-2590.