Retired Hammond City Court Judge John D. Kopfler, 80, died Sunday, November 15, 2009. He earned his undergraduate degree from LSU in 1953 and his law degree in 1956, after which he began in the practice of law. He was elected to the bench in 1979 and served until his retirement in 1996. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and served as president of the Louisiana Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and the Louisiana City Court Judges Association. He was a member of the Louisiana Children’s Code Project and served on numerous committees for the Louisiana Supreme Court and National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. Additionally, he taught in the criminal justice department at Southeastern Louisiana University.