Jerry Edwards Jr. | |
|---|---|
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| Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana | |
| Assumed office December 22, 2023 | |
| Appointed by | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Michael J. Juneau |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1979 (age 46–47) Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Education | Georgia State University (BA) Vermont Law and Graduate School (JD) |
Jerry Edwards Jr. (born 1979)[1] is an American lawyer fromLouisiana who has served as aUnited States district judge of theUnited States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana since 2023. He previously served as thefirst assistant U.S. attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana from 2022 to 2023.
Edwards received aBachelor of Arts fromGeorgia State University in 2002 and aJuris Doctor fromVermont Law and Graduate School in 2005.[2]
From 2005 to 2006, Edwards served as alaw clerk for Judges Jeanette G. Garrett andScott Crichton of theCaddo Parish District Court. From 2006 to 2014, he was anassociate at Blanchard, Walker, O’Quin & Roberts, A.P.L.C. inShreveport and from 2014 to 2019, he was ashareholder and director at the same firm, where he focused oncivil law, includingtorts andcontracts. From 2019 to 2023, he served as anassistant United States attorney at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana. While at the U.S. Attorney's Office, he served as Chief of the Civil Division from 2020 to 2022 and from 2022 to 2023, he served as the first assistant U.S. attorney.[2] In that capacity, he focused onwhite collar crime,public corruption, andmoney laundering.[3]
On June 7, 2023, PresidentJoe Biden announced his intent to nominate Edwards to serve as aUnited States district judge of theUnited States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.[2][4] Soon after the nomination was announced, SenatorBill Cassidy announced his support.[5] Nine members of theCongressional Black Caucus wrote a letter[6] to President Joe Biden asking him to withdraw the nominations of Edwards andBrandon Scott Long because the sole Democratic lawmaker from Louisiana, RepresentativeTroy Carter, had not been properly consulted on multiple judicial nominations.[7][8][9] On June 8, 2023, his nomination was sent to the Senate. President Biden nominated Edwards to the seat vacated by JudgeMichael J. Juneau, who assumedsenior status on February 1, 2022.[10] On July 12, 2023, a hearing on his nomination was held before theSenate Judiciary Committee.[11] During his confirmation hearing, SenatorMarsha Blackburn questioned him whether he would be overwhelmed by the criminal cases federal judges handle given that his background is in civil law.[12] On July 12, 2023,U.S. RepresentativeSteven Horsford sent a letter[13] to Senate Judiciary chairmanDick Durbin saying the Congressional Black Caucus would oppose the Senate Judiciary Committee's consideration of Edwards Jr. and fellow nomineeBrandon Scott Long, pending changes to the committee's "blue slip" policy.[14] On September 14, 2023, his nomination was reported out of the committee by a 16–5 vote.[15] On December 14, 2023, theUnited States Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 66–31 vote, with SenatorBob Menendez voting against the motion to invoke cloture.[16] Later that day, his nomination was confirmed by a 66–24 vote.[17] He received his judicial commission on December 22, 2023.[18] He began his service on the bench on December 23, 2023.[19] Edwards became the firstperson of color to serve on the Western District of Louisiana.[5][20]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.| Legal offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana 2023–present | Incumbent |