The Louisiana Supreme Court has ordered the immediate removal of Judge Tiffany Foxworth-Roberts from the 19th Judicial District Court, citing repeated acts of dishonesty and misrepresentation, including false claims of military service and misleading police about a burglary report.
In a unanimous decision released Thursday, the high court ruled that Foxworth-Roberts’ conduct “undermined the integrity of the judiciary” and warranted her permanent removal from the bench.
The justices agreed with the findings of the Judiciary Commission of Louisiana, which concluded after a year-long investigation that her actions demonstrated “a pervasive pattern of dishonesty.”
Misrepresentation of Military Service
Foxworth-Roberts, elected to the East Baton Rouge Parish bench in 2020, had publicly described herself during her judicial campaign as a U.S. Army Captain and a veteran of three wars — Desert Storm, Iraq, and Afghanistan. She often said she was “no stranger to being on the front lines.”
However, military records contradicted those claims. According to the investigation, Foxworth-Roberts served as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserves, worked as a medical laboratory specialist, and never deployed overseas or served in combat.
Her assertion of being a “Desert Storm veteran” was based on her work processing blood samples at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in the early 1990s, rather than actual service in the war zone.
Misleading Police in Burglary Report
The Judiciary Commission also found that Foxworth-Roberts gave false statements to police in 2020 when she reported that $40,000 in jewelry had been stolen from her home.
Evidence later showed the alleged burglary had occurred three miles away at a campaign site. Investigators said she provided conflicting accounts to both law enforcement and her insurance company.
Obstruction and Lack of Cooperation
The Supreme Court noted that Foxworth-Roberts failed to fully cooperate during the judicial investigation, including withholding information and offering inconsistent testimony.
In her defense, she argued that her military claims reflected her support role rather than literal combat service and attributed her statements to stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. The justices rejected those explanations as insufficient and unconvincing.
Final Ruling and Sanctions
Thursday’s ruling makes Foxworth-Roberts the first Louisiana judge removed from office since 2009. The sanctions imposed are:
- Immediate removal from the bench of the 19th Judicial District Court.
- Five-year ban from holding any judicial office in the state.
- Reimbursement of investigation costs totaling $9,449.83.
Special counsel for the Judiciary Commission told the court that “you cannot teach a judge to be honest,” a statement echoed in the ruling that underscored how Foxworth-Roberts’ conduct “struck at the heart of judicial integrity.”
The court’s decision is final and leaves no avenue for appeal within the state judicial system.
