NEW ORLEANS — Longtime Lake Charles attorney Michael Pierre Ned, former judicial candidate indicted on domestic abuse and other charges almost six years ago, now is on disability inactive status following a March 9 Louisiana Supreme Court order.
The court's order followed an office of disciplinary counsel petition for transfer to disability inactive status.
"All disciplinary proceedings against [Ned] shall be deferred until such time as he resumes active status," the order said.
The order was effective immediately.
The order did not provide any details or reasons for the status but did cite a Supreme Court rule and said "all filings in this matter shall remain confidential."
Ned was admitted to the bar in Louisiana on April 18, 1997, according to his profile at the Louisiana State Bar Association's website. No prior discipline was listed on his state bar profile or in a search of Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board's online database.
On April 5, 2014, Ned lost his bid for a seat on the 14th Judicial District Court bench, coming in second with 20.5% of the vote behind the winner, incumbent Judge Sharon Wilson, who took 67.8 percent of the vote.
Wilson’s term is set to expire in December.
Four days after losing the election, Ned turned himself in at the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office and was arrested for alleged domestic violence with child endangerment, two counts of violating protective orders and filing a false report.
The allegations stemmed from an alleged incident the previous September in which Ned's wife claimed he struck her and knocked her out, according to a news report at the time of his arrest.
A 13-year-old family member reportedly told police that Ned dragged his unconscious wife into the house and placed a pillow over her face, saying "she had to die."
At the time, Ned reportedly claimed "these charges are false" and that "I am in the middle of a custody battle and people are trying to muddy the water."
A protective order that Ned to stay away from his wife was issued in October 2013.
Ned was indicted in June 2014 on domestic abuse battery (strangulation), violation of a protective order and filing false public record.