La. Supreme Court permanently bans attorney from practice of law

BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana Supreme Court has permanently banned an attorney from practicing law — a move that follows his previous interim suspension for “threat of harm to the public.”

The order, issued on Tuesday, applies to W. Glenn Soileau, an attorney based in St. Martin Parish and a former judge in Breaux Bridge City Court. The Court accepted a disbarment recommendation from a committee that examined various instances of misconduct.

In Louisiana, permanent disbarment is an extreme step that can be taken only when the lawyer’s conduct is “so egregious as to demonstrate a convincing lack of ethical and moral fitness to practice law,” and when there is little likelihood of rehabilitation.

For Soileau, the committee and the Court considered a laundry list of offenses that included:

  – battery on a law enforcement officer at a 1986 festival

  – participation in a bar fight

  – improper use of judicial powers

  – violations of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (resulting in a prison sentence)

  – multiple drug and drunk driving offenses

The most recent concerns included a 2017 incident in which Soileau sent text messages to a methamphetamine distributor, warning her that police were closing in and directing her to “get rid of whatever you have and hurry,” according to Supreme Court documents.

Soileau later told investigators that he was the woman’s attorney.

The woman told Louisiana State Police that he assisted her by paying for rooms in hotels where she would engage in prostitution. That investigation led to charges of pandering, obstruction of justice and other counts against Soileau.

Soileau pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of interfering with an investigation and other counts were dismissed.

The state’s Office of Disciplinary Council filed formal charges in May 2022, starting the process that led to permanent disbarment.

Read the Supreme Court findings here