District Judge Bruce Hampton today announced his candidacy for re-election as the Division C judge for the Lincoln-Union Parish 3rd Judicial District. The election is Nov. 3.
Hampton began serving as the Division C judge in November 2018, filling out the unexpired term of former District Judge Jay McCallum of Farmerville. Hampton was then elected to a full six-year term on the bench in 2020, and is now seeking re-election for an additional six-year term.
“I have truly enjoyed my time as a judge, serving my community and my state, and I believe my fair and impartial approach to the cases that come before me is making a difference,” Hampton said. “Now, with almost eight years on the bench as a judge, I am ready to continue using that experience to work for the people of the 3rd Judicial District.”
Prior to becoming a judge, Hampton practiced civil and criminal law in Mississippi, Texas, and Louisiana for 37 years. He served for 18 years as an assistant district attorney in the 3rd Judicial District and approximately 11 years as an indigent defense attorney in the district.
Known primarily for his strong work ethic and preparedness for trial, Hampton has also been involved in various court reform programs, most notably the approval of a reentry court designed to help manage the return to the community of non-violent offenders who have been in prison.
Participants in the program will undergo intensive rehabilitation and education, learn a trade, and then be closely monitored upon release from prison. The program was initially approved, then delayed by COVID, then re-approved in 2025, and is now scheduled to begin operations in the near future.
A longtime advocate for children’s education, Hampton has formed a partnership with the Children’s Coalition in Monroe to provide parents of chronically truant children with education on parenting skills and the long-term effects of truancy.
“Like many societal issues, chronic truancy can often be traced to issues at home, so we believe that providing instruction on parenting skills and education about the life-long effects of a limited education is more effective and productive for first-time offender parents than court appearances and fines,” Hampton said. “The program was launched in January and is showing promising signs,” he added.
Judge Hampton was awarded the “Tree of Life Award” by Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Northeast Louisiana for his work protecting children from abuse and neglect. Additionally, he received statewide recognition in 2025, the Judge Benjamin Jones Judges in the Classroom Award, for his work educating children on civic and legal issues in the district’s classrooms and courtrooms.
Hampton is an honor graduate of Louisiana Tech University, Tulane Law School, and Southern Methodist University.
His wife of 46 years, Cindy Hampton, has been a career educator for 45 years, teaching junior high school and high school physical science, biology, and chemistry in public and private schools in Mississippi and Louisiana.
She has been at Cedar Creek School for the last 32 years, serving as a high school science teacher, head of the science department, Assistant Principal of Academics, and Principal.
Hampton has served as president of the Union Parish Dixie Youth Baseball Association, assistant state director of Dixie Youth Baseball, and a coach on Lincoln Parish’s entry in the Little League World Series for 17- and 18-year-olds.
He has served as a coach in youth football, basketball, and baseball leagues.
Hampton was a founding member of the Union Parish 4-H Foundation, has been a board member for 31 years, and has been a supporter of Union Parish Youth Livestock and FFA in Union Parish.
Hampton has been a board member and officer of the Farmerville Lions Club, including two terms as president. He has served as an officer and board member of the Union Parish Chamber of Commerce for many years and was named its Businessperson of the Year in 2017. He is an active member of the Ruston Rotary Club, being highly involved in the Student of the Month scholarship program and Coats for Kids program.
Hampton has also been a member and president of the Lake D’Arbonne Watershed Commission, a member and president of the Union Parish Bar Association, and served on the parish council for his church. He is a member of the Louisiana District Judges Association (currently serving as First Vice-President) and the National Judges Association, and was recently reappointed to a second four-year term on the Judiciary Commission of Louisiana, which investigates complaints against Louisiana judges and makes recommendations for discipline to the Louisiana Supreme Court.
