--- title: "Kelly Balfour | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/kelly-balfour-judge-louisiana-1st-circuit-court-of-appeal-2nd-dist-subdistrict-1-div-c-la" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # Kelly Balfour Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal · Judge ## Profile - Court: Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal - State: Louisiana - Role: Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-26 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - court: Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal, 2nd District · role: Judge · start date: 2025-01-01 · end date: 2034-12-31 · notes: Won election outright in primary Nov 5, 2024 - Republican‐party judge of the 2nd District of the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal, elected in 2024 to serve until 2034, after a career that includes the 19th Judicial District Court and over a decade as a public defender - Balfour assumed office January 1, 2025 as the 2nd District judge of the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal - court: 19th Judicial District Court of Louisiana · role: Judge - Division I · start date: 2019 · end date: 2024-12-31 · notes: Elected in 2019 special election; served until election to Court of Appeal - District Defender / Public Defender — 15th Judicial District Public Defender Office · end year: 2019 - He was elected in a 2019 special election and held leadership roles such as deputy chief of the Civil Section and deputy presiding judge over the Recovery Court and Complex Litigation Section - Attorney — Balfour Emonet Law Firm · start year: 2015 · end year: 2019 - Defense Attorney — Private defense firms representing insurers - He also served 12 years as head of the public defender’s office for the 15th Judicial District ### Education - Louisiana State University — Law — J.D. (2001) - Bachelor's — Louisiana State University — History ### Additional information - Term Ends 2034 per Louisiana Judiciary - Balfour’s election followed the suspension of fellow 19th JDC judge Eboni Johnson‐Rose, who was removed from the bench earlier in 2024. - Before the First Circuit, Balfour served on the 19th Judicial District Court in Baton Rouge from 2019 to 2024. - Closing Attorney — CERT Title · start year: 2016 · end year: 2019 - Staff — Louisiana Legislature - Before joining the judiciary, Balfour spent nearly 20 years in private practice in civil and criminal trials. - representing 16 parishes in Southeast Louisiana, including East Baton Rouge. - Party R - He succeeded Jewel “Duke” Welch, who was ineligible to run due to age restrictions ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### electronic or photographic presentation of evidence Scope: statewide Louisiana trial judges may authorize electronic or photographic means for presenting evidence, preserving the record, counsel use, or judicial-administration purposes. Evidence excerpt: A trial judge may authorize ... the use of electronic or photographic means for the presentation of evidence [Louisiana Code of Judicial Conduct, Canon 3A(9)](https://www.lasc.org/Court_Rules?p=CJC) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### broadcast recording photography Scope: statewide Louisiana judges generally prohibit broadcasting, televising, recording, or photographing courtroom proceedings unless a Canon 3A(9) exception applies. Evidence excerpt: a judge shall prohibit broadcasting, televising, recording, or taking photographs in the courtroom [Louisiana Code of Judicial Conduct, Canon 3A(9)](https://www.lasc.org/Court_Rules?p=CJC) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### appellate extended media coverage Scope: statewide Louisiana appellate courts may permit extended media coverage in public appellate proceedings, subject to the authority of the court and presiding judge or panel. Evidence excerpt: An appellate court may permit broadcasting, televising, recording, and taking photographs of public judicial proceedings [Louisiana Code of Judicial Conduct, Canon 3A(9)](https://www.lasc.org/Court_Rules?p=CJC) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.louisianajudiciary.com/) - [Official roster](https://www.louisianajudiciary.com/) - [Louisiana Judiciary public directory official judicial roster](https://www.louisianajudiciary.com/) - [Louisiana Code of Judicial Conduct, Canon 3A(9)](https://www.lasc.org/Court_Rules?p=CJC) - [Supplied Louisiana biography research](https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/kelly-balfour-judge-louisiana-1st-circuit-court-of-appeal-2nd-dist-subdistrict-1-div-c-la) - [Supplied Louisiana biography research](https://www.ballotready.org/people/kelly-balfour) - [Supplied Louisiana biography research](https://www.louisianajudiciary.com/judges/kelly-balfour/) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/kelly-balfour-judge-louisiana-1st-circuit-court-of-appeal-2nd-dist-subdistrict-1-div-c-la", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/kelly-balfour-judge-louisiana-1st-circuit-court-of-appeal-2nd-dist-subdistrict-1-div-c-la", "name": "Kelly Balfour | KnowJudges", "description": "Kelly Balfour, Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal. 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