Term Ends: 2032
Party: R
HONORABLE JOHN J. MOLAISON, JR. serves on the Louisiana Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal, Division “G.” He arrived at the appeal court in August of 2018 from his position as district court judge of the 24th Judicial District Court for the Parish of Jefferson in Gretna, Louisiana, Division “E.” He was first elected to the bench in 2007 without opposition and was re-elected twice without opposition. Judge Molaison has served as Chief Judge of the 24th Judicial District Court and as President of the Louisiana District Judges Association. While on the district court bench, he strongly supported specialty courts. In addition to serving as a Drug Treatment Court judge, he helped create the D.W.I. Treatment Court, the Veterans Treatment Court, the Re-entry Court, and the Swift and Certain Intensive Probation Court. Judge Molaison also established the court’s supervised misdemeanor probation program.
Prior to taking the bench, Judge Molaison was the managing partner of Molaison & LeBlanc and an Assistant District Attorney in Jefferson Parish for approximately 20 years until his election. During his tenure with the Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office, he served as a felony prosecutor, the Supervisor of Parish Court prosecutions, and the Executive Assistant District Attorney. Additionally, Judge Molaison was the Prosecutor and City Attorney for the City of Westwego and the Prosecutor and Town Attorney for the Town of Grand Isle for many years.
Judge Molaison received his Juris Doctor from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law in 1986. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Loyola University New Orleans in 1983. Judge Molaison is active in extra-judicial activities and has a strong commitment to improving Louisiana’s system of justice. He currently serves as a member of the Judiciary Commission of Louisiana and the Supreme Court’s District Court Rules Committee. On the recommendation of the Judiciary Commission, the Supreme Court may censure a judge. He or she may also be suspended with or without salary, removed from office, or involuntarily retired. The Rules Committee reviews and makes recommendations for the amendment of district court rules or implementation of new rules to the Supreme Court.
The judge helps others improve by teaching law students and lecturing judges from many countries. He is on the faculty of the National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada, and Loyola University College of Law in New Orleans.