Former 19th JDC Judge Ralph E. Tyson, 63, died Monday, July 18, 2011. He received his B.S. degree from Louisiana State University in 1970 and his JD from LSU Law School in 1973. He was employed as Special Counsel and Assistant Attorney General in the Louisiana Department of Justice; Assistant District Attorney for East Baton Rouge Parish; and, for over nine years, was the Chief City Prosecutor for the City of Baton Rouge. During that time, he was also engaged in the private practice of law for over 15 years. In 1988, Judge Tyson was elected to a vacant seat in Baton Rouge City Court where he presided for over five years. In 1993, he was elected without opposition to the bench at the 19th JDC, where he served until his resignation in 1998, necessitated by his appointment to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana, where he presided as Chief Judge from 2005 until his death. During his time on the City Court bench, Judge Tyson was elected to serve as treasurer of the Louisiana City Judges Association and later as secretary of that organization.