The Hon. William Jorden is a judge for the 19th Judicial District Court of Louisiana. He was elected to the bench in 2020.
The 19th Judicial District includes East Baton Rouge Parish.
Jorden received a bachelor’s degree in history from Millsaps College in 2003. He then completed a J.D. at Southern University Law Center in 2010.
Jorden began his legal career as an assistant district attorney in New Orleans, where he quickly rose to felony trials assistant the following month. He went on to prosecute cases ranging from homicides and armed robberies to felony drug distribution cases and became senior assistant of Section B of the Orleans Parish Criminal Court.
Then, in 2014, Jorden made a lateral move to the East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney’s Office, where he was section chief of Section VII of the 19th Judicial District Court. During his time there, he was involved in various initiatives, including the “Real Talk Program,” which he helped establish to bring local community leaders, law enforcement, the legal community, and local high school and middle school students together to discuss current societal issues. The program originated in Florida, following the death of Trayvon Martin.
Jorden is the founding member and past vice president of the Louisiana Black Prosecutor’s Association and a past president of the National Black Prosecutor’s Association.
He and his wife, Brittany, travel around the country to raise awareness about criminal justice reform and ways to prevent crimes without focusing primarily on incarceration.
Jorden is registered as a Democrat.