William "Billy" Burris

William "Billy" Burris, then a judge on Louisiana's 22nd Judicial District Court, was found by the Louisiana Judicial Campaign Oversight Committee to have violated Canon 7A of the state's Code of Judicial Conduct during his 2026 campaign for a seat on the Louisiana Supreme Court. At an April 20 candidate forum sponsored by the Baton Rouge Press Club, Burris claimed his opponent, First Circuit Court of Appeal Judge Blair Downing Edwards, had received a loan from Smitty's Supply, a Tangipahoa Parish industrial company, shortly before she ruled on a workers' compensation case involving that company.

The committee found this statement false — Edwards had not received a loan from Smitty's Supply — and concluded Burris knowingly made a false statement about his opponent's qualifications or conduct, in violation of the judicial canon barring exactly that. Despite the finding, Burris went on to win the Republican primary for the Louisiana Supreme Court's 1st District seat on May 16, 2026, defeating Edwards 58% to 42%, and now sits as a Justice on the state's highest court.