Term Ends: 2026
Party: D
Judge Alvin Batiste, Jr. is the presiding judge of Division “C” of the 18th Judicial District. Judge Batiste is currently serving as Chief Judge of the 18th Judicial District Court. Judge Batiste has been on the bench since January 2003 and has presided over the Iberville Parish Drug Court from 2005-2017.
Judge Batiste is a product of the Southern University School System. He graduated from Southern Lab with honors in 1973, received his B.S. degree in Economics from Southern University in 1976 and he obtained his law degree from the Southern University Law Center in 1981. Judge Batiste was admitted to the Louisiana State Bar that same year.
Judge Batiste has a varied work history which has been an asset to him on the bench. In the early 70s he worked at Exxon Chemical as a process operator for 4 years; while in law school he taught classes in the Business College at Southern and he served as a law clerk for the Acadiana Delegation of the Louisiana Legislature and the Attorney General’s Office. After being admitted to the Louisiana Bar, Judge Batiste began his career as an officer and lawyer in the United States Navy Judge Advocate General Corp. After his honorable discharge in 1985 he began working as an assistant public defender in East Baton Rouge Parish and two years later became an assistant attorney general handling cases for the Department of Environmental Quality.
In 1992 Judge Batiste relocated to Iberville Parish where he and his deceased wife, Yolanda Jefferson Batiste, opened the law firm of Batiste & Batiste. In November 1997 he became the first Chief Administrative Officer for the Parish of Iberville, serving in that position until January 2002.
On April 11, 2013, Judge Batiste was inducted into Southern University Law Center’ s Hall of Fame for his outstanding and dedicated Services to his Community, Legal Profession and the Southern University Law Center.
Judge Batiste is married to Barbara Thomas Batiste and they are the proud parents of nine (9) children, Alvin III, Jocelyn, Jules, Anna, Marcus, Quinn, Marissa, Ariel and Tailyn.
Judge Batiste is a member of the LA District Judges Association, the Louisiana Judicial Council/NBA, LA Family and Juvenile Judges Association and a former Board member of the LA Judicial College. Judge Batiste has participated in Judges in the Classroom in Iberville Parish and annually invites Iberville Parish School Students to observe criminal court proceedings.