DA claims police search of her office was retaliation
A Pennsylvania District Attorney is seeking return of property seized in a raid of her office in a petition that alleges the search was retaliation for her work.
Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller claims retaliation by county commissioners and others, in part for a murder investigation that exposed drug use by the son of a commissioner, the Legal Intelligencer (sub. req.) reports. Another DA investigation that raised hackles, she says, concerned allegations of sunshine act violations by county commissioners. The Philadelphia Daily News, the Centre Daily Times and StateCollege.com also have stories.
Police raided the DA’s office Jan. 24 after a paralegal alleged that Parks Miller forged a judge’s signature on a court order reducing bail for a drug defendant. The paralegal also alleged that Parks Miller used staffers to do work on her campaign, police said in a press release. Items seized include a computer, iPad and cellphone.
Affidavits filed in the case say Parks Miller wanted it to look as if the inmate had been released from prison to help “set up” another inmate accused of soliciting the murder of a prosecutor, according to the Centre Daily Times.
County commissioners appointed a special prosecutor, but Parks Miller claims only the state attorney general has the power to investigate. Her lawyer, Bruce Castor, says a judge signed the bail order, according to StateCollege.com. Castor also claims police were reckless when they put sensitive information about an undercover investigation in a public document.
