On Friday, May 8, 2026, WBRZ reported that a Louisiana Supreme Court committee determined that Judge William Burris, a candidate for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, violated judicial ethics.
The violation stems from a false statement Burris made about his opponent, Judge Blair Downing Edwards, during an event at the Baton Rouge Press Club.
Burris claimed that Edwards received a loan from Smitty’s Supply before the company appeared before Edwards at the First Circuit and won their case. However, the Louisiana Judicial Campaign Oversight Committee found that Edwards did not receive a loan from Smitty’s Supply. Instead, Edwards granted a mortgage to Big 4 Investments, which is a separate entity from Smitty’s Supply.
The committee concluded that Burris’s statement violated Canon 7A of the Louisiana Code of Judicial Conduct. This canon prohibits judges from knowingly making false statements regarding the identity, qualifications, position, or other facts about an opponent.
Source: WBRZ
