Judge Emily Merckle serves as the District 1, Division A Judge for Shreveport City Court. Judge Merckle was elected in January of 2020. She presides over misdemeanor crimes, traffic court, evictions, small claims, civil trials, and peace bonds. Judge Merckle graduated magna cum laude from Mississippi College School of Law in 2013. She was previously a partner at Gatti & Merckle Law Firm from 2016-2020, having practiced as an associate beforehand, where she primarily handled family law cases and personal injury cases. Before being elected, Judge Merckle was affirmed by the Louisiana Supreme Court and the Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal in a hotly contested custody case regarding non-parent/same-sex custody rights. Judge Merckle has clerked for the Honorable Robert E. “Bobby” Waddell, the Honorable Eugene Bryson, and the Honorable Roy Brun. In law school, Judge Merckle interned for the Honorable Justice Scott Crichton and the Honorable Jeanette Garrett. Judge Merckle began her “Kids in the Courtroom” Program for Caddo Parish in 2023, and she is an executive committee member of the Shreveport Bar Association, a member of the Louisiana City Judges’ Association, a previous board member of her church, past president of the Delta Delta Delta Alumni Association, and a member of the Krewe of Justinian. She also graduated magna cum laude from Louisiana State University in 2009, and served as an English teacher through the Washington, D.C. Embassy, teaching in Avingnon, France from 2009-2010. Judge Emily Merckle has been married to Chris Merckle since 2016, and they have a two and a half year old daughter, Mary-Hallie, a three month old son named Wright, and a fifty pound goldendoodle, Pumpkin.