Judge Douglas Saloom to Retire from Lafayette Court
Longtime Lafayette City Court judge Douglas Saloom plans to retire at the end of 2026 after 31 years on the bench.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Retirement Planning
Douglas Saloom, who has served 31 years as a Lafayette City Court judge, is preparing to retire at the end of 2026. In retirement he plans to review his father's papers and historical records.
Why it matters
Saloom's departure marks the end of a lengthy tenure on the Lafayette City Court bench. His plans to revisit his father's records connect the retirement to the family's own local legal history.
Saloom's 31-year tenure on Lafayette City Court is the central figure in this announcement. The source does not say when a successor will be selected or seated.
The players
Douglas Saloom
Douglas Saloom is a Lafayette City Court judge who served 31 years on the bench and is retiring at the end of 2026.
Kaliste Saloom Jr.
Kaliste Saloom Jr. was a Lafayette city court judge from 1953 until 1993, took part in the city's civic life, and served in World War II.
The details
Saloom spoke with Jan Swift of the Discover Lafayette podcast about his time on the bench. He also described plans to review the papers, correspondence and historical records of his father, Kaliste Saloom Jr., who served as city court judge from 1953 until 1993.
Timeline
1953: Kaliste Saloom Jr. becomes city court judge in Lafayette.
1993: Kaliste Saloom Jr. retires as city court judge.
End of 2026: Douglas Saloom retires from Lafayette City Court.
Legacy Continuity
Douglas Saloom's retirement closes a chapter that began when his father, Kaliste Saloom Jr., took the same Lafayette City Court bench in 1953. The judge's plan to study his father's papers keeps that family record of the court in view.
For Lafayette residents with cases before the city court, a judicial retirement at the end of 2026 means a new judge will eventually take over the docket. Retirement-minded readers can use the story as a reminder that a long public career often ends with a defined date that should be planned for.
The takeaway
A decades-long public career ending on a known date is a useful prompt to plan your own retirement timeline and the steps that follow it.
What happens next
Saloom is scheduled to retire at the end of 2026, which is the next dated milestone in this story.
Further reading
Explore more on Retirement Planning for readers thinking about life after a long career.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Advocate.
