Longtime BR judge Trudy White abruptly announces resignation

BATON ROUGE – A longtime judge who was regularly criticized for giving low bonds to accused criminals before moving to civil court is leaving her seat in Baton Rouge.  

WBRZ obtained a resignation letter Friday saying that Judge Trudy White was leaving the 19th Judicial District Court effective April 1, 2023. Sources at the 19th JDC tell WBRZ that her resignation came as a surprise to many who work there. 

White was the first Black woman elected to Baton Rouge city court and held her seat for more than a decade. She left the criminal bench in 2019, opting instead to field only civil cases. It was a decision that came amid mounting criticism from the community over her handling of certain cases. 

She also apologized over a video shot for her re-election campaign in 2014 which many interpreted as her pandering to criminals. 

A special election to fill White’s vacancy won’t be held until the fall.