Retiring Thibodaux Judge John LeBlanc reflects on 24-year career

When District Judge John LeBlanc visited the Thibodaux Firemen’s Fair on May 1, he went back to where it all started for him.

“It was 24 years ago on the Sunday of the Firemen’s Fair that I started my campaign for judge,” LeBlanc said. “It was a nice day to go back to the fair. They had great weather and it sort of completed the circle for me.”

LeBlanc, a Lafourche judge since 1998, said he will retire Sept. 30.

“It’s time, as they say, to move on,” the Thibodaux native said. “I’m satisfied that I fulfilled my original promises to be fair and impartial to everyone who came into my court and to be respectful to them. My motto was to be tough when necessary and compassionate when appropriate, and I feel like that’s been the way I handled my court. It’s been gratifying and rewarding to me. It’s been a lot of work, but it’s been something I thoroughly enjoyed.”

LeBlanc, who graduated from E.D. White Catholic High School in 1977 and earned a law degree from Louisiana State University in 1985, said he didn’t always envision becoming a judge.

“This was not anything I inspired to be,” he said. “I was a lawyer for years and was an assistant indigent defender for 10 to 12 years. I really had designs of keeping that job and running for other political offices. My family said I should try this and everyone I talked to said I would be good at it.”

Elected in 1998, LeBlanc had been re-elected without opposition since. He presided over the parish's Drug Court from 2000 to 2003 and served as the chief judge from 2009 to 2021.

“I’ve basically been here every day,” LeBlanc said. “I’ve come to the Courthouse whether we’re opened or closed, COVID or no COVID. I felt like I needed to be here. Part of that was because I was chief judge for 13 years.”

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There is a big difference between a judge and other elected officials in that jurists don’t represent districts, they represent the law, LeBlanc said.

“There’s a misconception that judges represent constituents,” he said. “No, we deal with litigants, the people who are ordered to come to court. We don’t represent people. My firm belief is that if you think judges represent people then you’ve misconstrued what a judge does. A judge has to determine the facts, apply the law and deal with the case that’s presented to the court.”

During his decades on the bench, LeBlanc presided over hundreds of cases including the capital murder trial of David Brown.

LeBlanc said he went into each case with respect for those who walked into his courtroom.

“I was able to establish a good rapport with the people who come into court,” he said. “They’re not coming in because they want to. They’re coming in because they have to. People don’t volunteer for court. But they’re here and you have to respect their appearance and give them the time they’re due. I try not to ignore their circumstances.

“How can I expect people to come to court in the greatest frame of mind when they have a roof missing? If I don’t recognize that then I’m not addressing their issues. I have to have some understanding of their circumstances when dealing with their cases.”

LeBlanc experienced new technologies that changed and enhanced the way he conducted court.

“When I took office, this division didn’t even have a computer,” he said. “Everything was on legal pads, and police officers went to judges’ homes to get warrants signed. After several years, we started making advances like electronic signature warrants, and we incorporated technology into the courtroom. Those things I feel proud of. We do well here considering we’re in the country and don’t have a big budget.”

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LeBlanc thanked the community for its support over the years.

“It was a lot of work, but I’m humbled to have been given the opportunity and was blessed by having good coworkers, partners or stakeholders,” he said. “We didn’t always agree, but when we disagree we disagreed respectfully. I feel that I’ve given it my all. Now it’s time for me to devote some time to my family.”

— Staff Writer Dan Copp can be reached at 448-7639 or at dan.copp@houmatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanVCopp. 

This article originally appeared on The Courier: Thibodaux Judge John LeBlanc reflects on 24-year career, retiring