UPDATE 4:10 p.m. — A spokeswoman for the Louisiana Secretary of State confirmed to The Daily Iberian that New Iberia City Marshal Haywood “Tony” Migues has tendered his letter of resignation, and it has been accepted.

According to the letter acknowledging Migues’ resignation, the governing authority (in this case the New Iberia City Council) has 20 days, until May 3, to set a date for a special election to select a new marshal to complete the current term.

In the interim, the chief deputy marshal will assume the duties of marshal. If the chief deputy has not been named or refuses the position, the New Iberia City Council will have until May 3 to appoint an interim marshal.

It is too late to place the marshal’s seat on the April 24 ballot. If the city administration moves expeditiously, the seat could be on the ballot for the state’s next election cycle, with the election to be held on Oct. 9. That would mean candidates would qualify from July 14 to July 16.

If the city council does not appoint an interim or set the election date in the specified amount of time, the open position will be sent to the governor’s office to be filled.

ORIGINAL STORY: New Iberia City Marshal Haywood “Tony” Migues is in the process of tendering his resignation from office in the wake of state malfeasance charges.

According to sources with the city of New Iberia and the Iberia City Court, Migues had filed a notice of resignation Friday. Elected officials, however, have to file an original notarized letter of resignation with the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office. Once that letter is received, the resignation is official.

As of Monday afternoon, Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin’s office has not received that letter from Migues. Once it is received, it will be transmitted to the city of New Iberia for an interim marshal to be appointed.

Because more than a year remains in Migues’ term of office, a special election will have to be held to fill the unexpired portion of his term.

Migues was arrested on eight counts each of malfeasance in office, injuring public documents and forgery on Feb. 4. The arrest came after a month-long Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigation probe into Migues’ handling of subpoena service documents. The investigation began in January as detectives received information alleging Migues had forged multiple signatures on official court documents.

Migues gained the marshal’s office in a special election in 2019 to replace longtime City Marshal Vic Delcambre, who died in December 2018. Migues won reelection to his first full term in office in 2020.