Judge Valerie Gotch Garrett was born and raised in Lafayette, Louisiana. She was elected District Judge for Division B in 2020 with her term beginning on January 1, 2021 serving Lafayette, Acadia and Vermillion Parishes on a rotating basis.

Judge Garrett has served Acadiana and the State as a leader and member of several civic and community boards. In addition to being the lst African American Female to be elected to the 15th JDC, she has many other lst including but not limited to being the lst African American female Chair for the Lafayette Airport Commission and lst African American female appointed to the Lafayette Housing Authority.  Judge Garrett has practiced law in the Acadiana community for more than 27 years practicing criminal defense, family, personal injury law as well as general practice areas. Judge Garrett has experience as a 15th Judicial District Public Defender and Federal Public Defender handling Capital, Felony, Juvenile and Misdemeanor cases.

Judge Garrett is a graduate of Holy Rosary Institute and the University of Southwest Louisiana, (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette). She received her Juris Doctorate from Southern University Law Center.

She has been a champion of service to the community and has made significant impact on the community priding herself on having a “Passion for Justice”.  She believes every person must be treated with respect and dignity.  She maintained a reputation of “Service to the people” and provided extensive amounts of pro bono work. She uses her influence and life experience to encourage and inspire others to become everything they are capable of being.