Federal Court unveils portrait in honor of former Chief Judge Ralph Tyson

Baton Rouge, La (NBC33) — The first black Chief Judge for Louisiana's Middle District was honored today.

A portrait of Ralph Tyson was unveiled at the federal court in front of a packed house. Family and many friends gathered inside of the courtroom for the event. One of his closest friends remembers Tyson as a jokester and a really funny guy.

"He was a guy with a good sense of humor,” stated friend Luke Lavergne. “He never complained about anything ever when he was sick, but he was always joking about things. That's what I remember most - the humor."

Tyson was also the second black judge in East Baton Rouge's district court.