The Hon. Stephen J. Windhorst is a judge for the 1st District of the Louisiana 5th Circuit Court of Appeal. He was elected to the bench in 2012 and re-elected in 2022.
Prior to his election, Windhorst was a judge for the 24th Judicial District Court, a position to which he was named in 2000. During his tenure there, he was selected to concurrently preside over the Jefferson Parish Environmental Court, handling cases involving the demolition and clean-up of dilapidated properties after Hurricane Katrina.
Windhorst earned a bachelor’s degree from Tulane University in 1979. He then completed a J.D. at Tulane University School of Law in 1982.
After graduating from law school, Windhorst entered into private practice. He worked in that capacity until his election to the bench, supplementing his practice with service as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives (1992 to 2000).
He is registered as a Republican.