Royale Colbert Suspended

Judge Royale Colbert of Lafayette's 15th Judicial District improperly signed a temporary restraining order in 2021 aimed at stopping a rap concert at a local venue — without any petition ever having been filed seeking one, and through ex parte communications outside the normal legal process, according to Louisiana's Judiciary Commission. The order came amid the city's last-minute effort to halt the concert following a shooting the previous weekend.

Separately, when Colbert himself was pulled over for running a red light, he was uncooperative and verbally combative with the officer — using his position as a judge to intimidate the officer and openly questioning his credibility during the stop, the Commission found.

The Commission determined both incidents amounted to an abuse of judicial authority and improper process. The Louisiana Supreme Court suspended Colbert for six months without pay, ordered him to attend anger management classes, and required him to pay the cost of the Commission's investigation.