Biographical Data

Ulysses Gene Thibodeaux, a graduate of Dartmouth College and Tulane Law School, where he was an Earl Warren Scholar, is the Chief Judge of the Third Circuit Court of Appeal. He is a member of the 2017 Hall of Fame Class of Tulane Law School. He is the past President of The National Council of Chief Judges, an organization consisting of chief judges of the intermediate appellate courts in the United States and its territories. He practiced law for seventeen years in New York City and Lake Charles before his election to the Third Circuit in 1992.

Chief Judge Thibodeaux chaired The Task Force on Judicial Independence and co-chaired the Louisiana Supreme Court Task Force on Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Courts. He served as Justice Ad Hoc on the Louisiana Supreme Court in 2012-2013 for “In re: Office of Chief Justice, Louisiana Supreme Court.” He is the 2012 recipient of the Board Member of the Year Award from Charter Schools USA, an education service provider based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; the 2016 Education All Star Award from Stand for Children; the 2016 Difference Maker Award for being a leader in education reform; the 2013 Celebration of Children Award for his efforts to improve educational equality for children; the 2010 recipient of the Judge A. Leon Higginbotham Award for Judicial Excellence from the National Bar Association; the 2009 recipient of the Thurgood Marshall Award from the National Bar Association for serving as an exemplary role model for judges and lawyers; and, the recipient of the Louisiana State Bar Association’s President Award in 2009.

Chief Judge Thibodeaux has served as National Financial Secretary for the National Bar Association, as a member of the Louisiana Supreme Court’s Committee to Study Bifurcation of the Judiciary Commission, and as a member of the Advisory Committee to the Louisiana Supreme Court for Revision of the Code of Judicial Conduct. He is the Vice-Chairman of the Louisiana Judicial Compensation Commission. He is an Honorary Life Member of the Board of Trustees of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

Chief Judge Thibodeaux is active in the community as a Board member of several organizations: SWLA Center for Health Services, a federally qualified health center which serves 23,000 patients in southwest Louisiana; founder of three Type 2 charter schools with enrollments totaling 2,000 students; Lake Charles Memorial Hospital; and, Louisiana Facilities Corporation which oversees capital projects on Louisiana’s community and technical colleges.

Chief Judge Thibodeaux has authored articles on various topics in the Louisiana Law Review, the Louisiana Bar Journal, the Bench Press (newsletter of the Louisiana Judicial Council/NBA), and Louisiana Cultural Vistas, a magazine of statewide circulation.

He is a member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church and is married to Phyllis Dugar Thibodeaux.

Sylvia R.. Cooks, Judge

Office: P.O. Box 566
Ville Platte, LA. 70586
Phone: (337) 363-5629
Fax: (337) 363-5186

Biographical Data:
Political Affiliation: Democrat
Date of Birth: June 4, 1943
Spouse: Susan Manuel
Children: 3, Grandchildren: 9, Great Grandchildren: 2

Career / Education:
Judge, 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal (1992 to date)
Louisiana State Senator, District 28 (1975 to 1992)
- Chair, Judiciary C Committee
- Insurance and Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Committees
Attorney, Saunders & Vidrine (1984 to 1990) – General Practice
LSU Law School – 1968, J.D.
Louisiana State University – 1965, B.A.
Sacred Heart High School (Ville Platte) – 1961

Professional, Civic and Business Affiliations:
Louisiana Commission on Criminal Justice
Louisiana State and Evangeline Parish Bar Associations
Sentencing Commission / Jaycees, Past Vice President
Louisiana Association of Educators’ President’s
- Special Recognition Award – 1989
Louisiana State University Alumni Association, Past Secretary
Mamou Youth, Inc., Past Vice President

Professional Activities:
Frequent lecturer at CLE Programs on professionalism, ethics and
Third Circuit Jurisprudence

Hobby/Personal/Publications:
Frequent contributor to Bonnes Nouvelles Magazine
Titles Include: 1 – Cotton Festival – Early Days (October 2012 issue) of Buggy Tracks

Marc T.. Amy, Judge

Elizabeth A.. Pickett, Judge

Judge Ezell was born. reared, and educated in Greenville, Mississippi. He is married to Bernell Marie Thibodeaux Ezell and is the father of Bart, Britt and Brookes and has three step-children, Christie, Jean-Paul, and Natalie. He is the grandfather of three and step-grandfather of four.

Judge Ezell graduated from Greenville High School in 1961. He received a Bachelor's degree in marketing and management from LSU in 1965, where he was a Captain and Quarterback of the LSU Tigers Football team and a member of the baseball team 1964-1965. He was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity and a member of the LSU ROTC Program. He received his juris doctorate from LSU. Upon graduating from Law School, he entered active duty with the United States Army and while serving, obtained the rank of Captain. After officer basic course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma in 1970, he served nine months in Vietnam before his discharge in 1971. His military awards include the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, Bronze Star, and the Republic Of Vietnam Campaign Medal w/60 Dev Rifle M-16 (Exp). He received the Bronze Star for meritorious achievement in ground operations against hostile forces in the fall of 1970.

Upon return to the United States, he was stationed at Fort Polk for four months. After his discharge, he began his practice of law in Lake Charles, Louisiana, with the firm of Camp, Carmouche, and after two years, practiced with the firm of McHale and Bufkin. While with the firm of McHale and Bufkin, he was the city prosecutor for the City of Lake Charles. In 1975, the firm of Levingston, Liles, Ezell and Tynes was formed and he engaged in the general practice of law until his election as the first Family and Juvenile Judge for the Fourteenth Judicial District Court JDC in Calcasieu Parish, where he served for 18 years. He has served on the Court of Appeal, Third Circuit since 2003.

Judge Ezell is a member of the Southwest Louisiana Bar Association, Louisiana Bar Association, American Inns of Court, American Bar Association, American Judges Association, VFW, American Legion, and the Knights Of Columbus.

Judge Ezell has served as president of the 3rd Circuit Judges Association, as a member of the Judicial Budgetary Control Board of the State of Louisiana, and President of the Louisiana Family Courts Judges' Association.

Judge Ezell has served as a panelist/speaker/lecturer at many continuing legal education seminars on such topics as Practices and Procedures of the Third Circuit, Court of Appeal and Family Law issues and procedures.

Shannon J.. Gremillion, Judge

Phyllis M.. Keaty, Judge

HON. JOHN E. CONERY is a 1970 cum laude graduate of Loyola Law School where he served on the Law Review and as President of the Student Bar Association. He practiced law for almost twenty-five years with a focus on personal injury litigation before taking office as a general jurisdiction District Judge for the Sixteenth Judicial District, Parishes of St. Mary, Iberia and St. Martin, State of Louisiana on January 1, 1995. While on the District Court bench, Judge Conery co-ordinated capital training for Louisiana Judges in co-operation with the National Judicial College, and co-ordinated preparation of the Louisiana Capital Crimes Benchbook. Judge Conery has completed training as a domestic violence faculty co-ordinator and has presented at the state and national level on domestic violence issues. He is Past President of the Louisiana District Judge’s Association and is immediate past President of the American Judges Association. Judge Conery has been a member of the Steering Committee for the Center for Elders and the Courts at the National Center for State Courts since 2005 and is featured in the introduction to the NCSC Elder and the Courts website. He conducted the NCSC pilot program for Elder Abuse Training for Judges at the State and National level. Judge Conery completed the Louisiana Judicial Leadership Institute and has been a frequent lecturer on the topics of Professionalism and Ethics for many years, previously serving as Chair of the LSBA Professionalism Committee. Judge Conery is a founding member and First President of The Inn on The Teche, a chapter of the American Inns of Court, and continues to serve as Inn Administrator.

Judge Conery is married to Brooksie B. Conery and has three children, John, Jr., Christine and Kelly, and two step-children, Brent and Dawn. He and Brooksie have twelve grandchildren between them.

Judge Conery now serves as a judge on the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeal since election on January 1, 2013.

Judge Kent Savoie is presently serving as a Judge on the Third Circuit Court of Appeal. For almost 14 years prior to his election, Judge Savoie served as District Judge on the 14th Judicial District Court. A United States Navy Veteran and former operator at PPG Industries, Judge Savoie served as City Prosecutor and City Attorney for Sulphur, as well as Magistrate of Town of Vinton.

He has been married to Patricia Borel Savoie for 45 years and together they have 5 children and 17 grandchildren, with the 18th due in October, 2018.

Van H.. Kyzar, Judge

Candyce Perret, Judge