Judge Elizabeth A. Engolio
DIVISION D
Administrative Assistant - Keely Marionneaux
Keely@18jdc.com
Law Clerk - Kristin Bucher
Kristin@18jdc.com
Court Reporter - Jerri Schnebelen
Jerri.CTReporter@gmail.com
MAILING ADDRESS
PO Box 758
58050 Meriam St., Suite 311
Plaquemine, LA 70764
Office: (225) 687-5220
Fax: (225) 687-5240
Elizabeth A. Engolio took office March 31, 2016, as judge in the 18th Judicial District Court for Division D. She served as Chief Judge for the years 2021 and 2022. She has served as the Iberville Drug Court Judge since September 2017, which is a volunteer position. Additionally, she volunteers as a Mentor Judge through the Louisiana Supreme Court Mentor Program. In 2023, the 18th JDC formed its Families in Need of Services (FINS) program and Judge Engolio was chosen by her fellow judges to be the Supervising Judge for FINS. She was also instrumental in the formation of the 18th JDC CASA Steering Committee.
Elizabeth was born and raised in Plaquemine, Louisiana, and is the granddaughter of the late Judge Edward N. Engolio, Sr. She attended St. John School in Plaquemine through the eighth grade, then graduated in 1997 from St. Joseph’s Academy in Baton Rouge.
Judge Engolio pursued her undergraduate studies at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. While in college, she interned for Senator Mary Landrieu in Washington, D.C. She also worked for the Lafayette Parish District Attorney’s Office from 1998 to 2001. She graduated Cum Laude in May 2001 with a Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree, majoring in Interpersonal and Organizational Communication with a minor in Spanish, and was voted outstanding graduate by her classmates.
After graduation from ULL, Judge Engolio attended Southern University Law Center, where she received her Juris Doctorate in May 2004. While attending law school, she clerked for the firm of Marionneaux & Marionneaux and for her grandfather. Shortly after admission to the Louisiana Bar, she opened her private civil practice and began working as an Assistant District Attorney for the 18th JDC, which she maintained until 2016.
Through her private practice, Judge Engolio handled an array of matters, including probate, contracts, business, personal injury, and family law cases. As an Assistant District Attorney, she actively worked in all phases of the criminal justice system, from initial grand jury hearings through applications for post-conviction relief. She prosecuted numerous felony, drug forfeiture, misdemeanor, juvenile, and drug cases. She also handled many aspects of the appeals process for the District Attorney’s office, including writ applications and post-conviction appeals.
Judge Engolio previously served on the Judicial Campaign Oversight Committee, as an appointee of the Louisiana Supreme Court. She also served
on the Baton Rouge Children’s Advocacy Center Multi-Disciplinary Team for the 18th JDC, the Capital Area Law Enforcement Planning Commission, and the Multi-Jurisdictional Youth Center Commission.
In 2010, Judge Engolio appeared before the Louisiana Legislature to speak in support of Act 744, which suspended time limitations for the institution of trial when a material witness is unavailable due to military service. This Act eventually became Article 709 of the Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure.
In addition to her membership in the Louisiana State Bar, Judge Engolio has also been admitted to practice law in the United States Middle District Court and the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Through active service, Judge Engolio has demonstrated a love for her community and its residents. She was a youth leader for St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church from 2004 to 2007, and a member of the Evangelism Team from 2005 to 2007. She has volunteered her time in service to the Friends of St. Paul Church, Friends of the Plaquemine Locks, We Are the Difference, and Westside Visitation Center. She also enjoys her memberships with the Krewe of Okeanos and the YMCA.
Elizabeth serves on the Louisiana Judicial College Board of Governors, the Executive Boards of the Capital Area Law Enforcement Planning Commission, The Hospice of Baton Rouge and the St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church 100 -Year Capital Campaign Committee. She has previously served on the Executive Boards of the Plaquemine Service League and the Iberville Ready Start Network. She is a member of the Plaquemine Rotary Club and the Plaquemine Garden Club.
Judge Elizabeth Engolio has given solo and panel presentations for Continuing Legal Education at events sponsored by the Louisiana Judicial College, Baton Rouge Bar Association, and the 18th Judicial District Bar Association. She also volunteered to represent the Louisiana District Judges Association as the only jurist to participate in the 2023 Conclave on Diversity in the Legal Profession: Diversity, Inclusion, Professionalism.