Did the former Centre County DA violate grand jury secrecy? Investigation referred to Pa. AG
The state attorney general’s office plans to pursue indirect criminal contempt proceedings against Centre County’s former top prosecutor, according to a court document filed Thursday.
A special prosecutor was appointed to investigate allegations that former Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller violated grand jury secrecy provisions, according to the document signed by county Judge Katherine Oliver.
A report filed in September by the unidentified prosecutor concluded probable cause existed to support a charge of indirect criminal contempt against Parks Miller, according to the document. The report was sealed by Oliver.
The investigation was forwarded in October to county District Attorney Bernie Cantorna for a consideration of charges, but Parks Miller’s successor cited a conflict of interest and referred the investigation to the state attorney general’s office, according to the document.
The state attorney general’s office was unable to comment, spokeswoman Jacklin Rhoads wrote in an email Friday.
Cantorna, who said he immediately referred the investigation, said Friday he was “not at liberty” to comment about the investigation or allegations.
A conference is scheduled for April 13 in the Centre County Courthouse.
Parks Miller’s attorney Bruce L. Castor Jr. wrote in an email Monday that it was “curious” she was summoned to court more than two years after the alleged violation and less than one month after she applied to be reinstated from her one year and one day suspension.
“Doesn’t seem like much of an offense if 26 months goes by and only now the court chooses to accuse her, just after it appears in public she can apply to practice law again,” Castor wrote. “Quite a vindictive bunch running the county.”
Parks Miller was suspended in February 2019 by the state agency that investigates and prosecutes wrongdoing by Pennsylvania lawyers.
The state Disciplinary Board found she developed a pattern of communicating ex parte by email and text messages with judges about the substance of cases.
The board also found she created a fake Facebook identity that she and members of her office used to investigate suspected illegal activity.
Some of her statements throughout the investigation “were not candid,” the board wrote in a January newsletter.
Parks Miller’s suspension is set to expire March 11. Castor theorized her petition for reinstatement was the impetus for the “unusual” filing.
“It is not enough to oust her from office and from practicing law for a time. These are vicious and vindictive forces trying to crush the already defeated Ms. Parks Miller,” Castor wrote. “Funny thing about Stacy (is she is) a tough lady who fights back. She will not only defend here, but she has an active lawsuit that threatens to bring to light heaven knows what that some people wish they could bury along with Stacy.”
Parks Miller filed in January 2018 a breach of fiduciary duty lawsuit against her former paralegal Michelle Shutt.
She accused Shutt of surreptitiously sending confidential documents to her personal email account before sharing them with a local defense lawyer who “openly despises” Parks Miller, Castor wrote in the lawsuit.
After more than a year of legal filings, Castor deposed Shutt eight days before Oliver’s filing.
“It was extremely interesting,” Castor wrote in an email. “... Quite a coincidence, don’t you think?”