Stacy Parks Miller in the dog house?

[Delco Lion]

Penn State frat prosecutor faces hearing over texting, Facebook account

FILE – In this May 5, 2017, file photo, Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller announces findings of an investigation into the death of a Penn State University fraternity pledge, during a news conference in Bellefonte, Pa. The Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, a state board that handles complaints about lawyers, on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2017, scheduled a Nov. 29, 2017, hearing to consider whether Parks Miller committed professional misconduct by contacting judges about cases without informing defense lawyers, and by using a fake Facebook account to monitor defendants and their families. (Joe Hermitt/PennLive.com via AP, File)
By Mark Scolforo, The Associated Press

POSTED:08/18/17, 5:32 PM EDT|UPDATED: 1 MIN AGO


HARRISBURG, Pa. >> The lead prosecutor handling the case against Penn State fraternity members charged after a pledge died faces a hearing of her own in front of the state board that deals with complaints about lawyers.


The Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court this week scheduled the Nov. 29 hearing to consider whether Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller committed professional misconduct in texts with judges that discussed pending cases and by using a fake Facebook account to obtain information on defendants.

The Office of Disciplinary Counsel’s petition for discipline filed in February said Parks Miller contacted judges about cases without informing defense lawyers. It said she misled the disciplinary counsel’s investigators.

Parks Miller said Friday she is willing to answer for her conduct and looks forward to presenting the facts at the hearing.

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“The true operations in Centre County are very disturbing and always have been as long as I have been privy to behind the scenes,” Parks Miller said. “I am more than willing to ... be truthful and have my behavior be measured.”

The petition claims a February 2013 email about bail included the defendant’s lawyer and several other people but after Judge Bradley Lunsford responded directly to Parks Miller alone she then replied only to him that he should rescind his bail order.

“He is already gone,” Lunsford replied.

Disciplinary Counsel Anthony Czuchnicki wrote that in May 2014 Parks Miller wrote directly to Lunsford about a different case, asking him: “Are you serious? Scheduling a hearing with me and a pro se inmate ... making me answer to him about the complaints he filed about guards?”

Lunsford, who has since left the bench, later canceled the hearing. A phone listing for Lunsford could not be located.

Czuchnicki said that email exchange was an example of conduct that undermines the integrity of the criminal justice system.

Parks Miller admitted on Friday the email about the inmate was “improper.” She said the dispute with Czuchnicki’s office is over what the appropriate sanction should be.

The Office of Disciplinary Counsel said it recovered 15 partial texts from Parks Miller’s cellphone to another Centre County common pleas court jurist, Judge Jonathan Grine, also in May 2014, sent the day after a trial. They included references to the judge laughing and speculating about the “poor kid’s” family and a suggestion regarding restitution.

Grine gave the defendant three years and ordered restitution. Grine did not return a phone message Friday.

In October 2014, Czuchnicki wrote, Parks Miller did not correct Lunsford when he denied during a recusal hearing that there had been text exchanges between them, despite the fact he sent her 89 texts from May to October that year.

Parks Miller on Friday defended her decision in May 2011 to set up the bogus Facebook account, under the pseudonym Britney Bella, saying it was only to collect headshot photos and calling it a legitimate law enforcement operation.

Czuchnicki called the Facebook account an example of “dishonest and deceitful” conduct that violated the state’s rules for lawyers’ conduct.

The fake account ended up being friends with at least two people who were defendants but did not have lawyers.

Parks Miller, Czuchnicki wrote, should’ve known the unrepresented people she was connecting to through the Britney Bella account “misunderstood her role in the matter” and she “failed to make reasonable efforts to correct the misunderstanding.”

In the Penn State fraternity case, 18 members of now-closed Beta Theta Pi and the fraternity face charges in the February death of pledge Tim Piazza, of Lebanon, New Jersey. Some are accused of aggravated assault and involuntary manslaughter, while others face less serious allegations that include evidence tampering, hazing and alcohol violations. A preliminary hearing for the fraternity and 16 defendants has already lasted five days, with three more scheduled for later this month.

http://www.delcotimes.com/general-n...r-faces-hearing-over-texting-facebook-account

 

[91Joe95]

Dog house? Shocking.

 

[BBrown]

Penn State frat prosecutor faces hearing over texting, Facebook account

FILE – In this May 5, 2017, file photo, Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller announces findings of an investigation into the death of a Penn State University fraternity pledge, during a news conference in Bellefonte, Pa. The Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, a state board that handles complaints about lawyers, on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2017, scheduled a Nov. 29, 2017, hearing to consider whether Parks Miller committed professional misconduct by contacting judges about cases without informing defense lawyers, and by using a fake Facebook account to monitor defendants and their families. (Joe Hermitt/PennLive.com via AP, File)
By Mark Scolforo, The Associated Press

POSTED:08/18/17, 5:32 PM EDT|UPDATED: 1 MIN AGO


HARRISBURG, Pa. >> The lead prosecutor handling the case against Penn State fraternity members charged after a pledge died faces a hearing of her own in front of the state board that deals with complaints about lawyers.


The Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court this week scheduled the Nov. 29 hearing to consider whether Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller committed professional misconduct in texts with judges that discussed pending cases and by using a fake Facebook account to obtain information on defendants.

The Office of Disciplinary Counsel’s petition for discipline filed in February said Parks Miller contacted judges about cases without informing defense lawyers. It said she misled the disciplinary counsel’s investigators.

Parks Miller said Friday she is willing to answer for her conduct and looks forward to presenting the facts at the hearing.

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“The true operations in Centre County are very disturbing and always have been as long as I have been privy to behind the scenes,” Parks Miller said. “I am more than willing to ... be truthful and have my behavior be measured.”

The petition claims a February 2013 email about bail included the defendant’s lawyer and several other people but after Judge Bradley Lunsford responded directly to Parks Miller alone she then replied only to him that he should rescind his bail order.

“He is already gone,” Lunsford replied.

Disciplinary Counsel Anthony Czuchnicki wrote that in May 2014 Parks Miller wrote directly to Lunsford about a different case, asking him: “Are you serious? Scheduling a hearing with me and a pro se inmate ... making me answer to him about the complaints he filed about guards?”

Lunsford, who has since left the bench, later canceled the hearing. A phone listing for Lunsford could not be located.

Czuchnicki said that email exchange was an example of conduct that undermines the integrity of the criminal justice system.

Parks Miller admitted on Friday the email about the inmate was “improper.” She said the dispute with Czuchnicki’s office is over what the appropriate sanction should be.

The Office of Disciplinary Counsel said it recovered 15 partial texts from Parks Miller’s cellphone to another Centre County common pleas court jurist, Judge Jonathan Grine, also in May 2014, sent the day after a trial. They included references to the judge laughing and speculating about the “poor kid’s” family and a suggestion regarding restitution.

Grine gave the defendant three years and ordered restitution. Grine did not return a phone message Friday.

In October 2014, Czuchnicki wrote, Parks Miller did not correct Lunsford when he denied during a recusal hearing that there had been text exchanges between them, despite the fact he sent her 89 texts from May to October that year.

Parks Miller on Friday defended her decision in May 2011 to set up the bogus Facebook account, under the pseudonym Britney Bella, saying it was only to collect headshot photos and calling it a legitimate law enforcement operation.

Czuchnicki called the Facebook account an example of “dishonest and deceitful” conduct that violated the state’s rules for lawyers’ conduct.

The fake account ended up being friends with at least two people who were defendants but did not have lawyers.

Parks Miller, Czuchnicki wrote, should’ve known the unrepresented people she was connecting to through the Britney Bella account “misunderstood her role in the matter” and she “failed to make reasonable efforts to correct the misunderstanding.”

In the Penn State fraternity case, 18 members of now-closed Beta Theta Pi and the fraternity face charges in the February death of pledge Tim Piazza, of Lebanon, New Jersey. Some are accused of aggravated assault and involuntary manslaughter, while others face less serious allegations that include evidence tampering, hazing and alcohol violations. A preliminary hearing for the fraternity and 16 defendants has already lasted five days, with three more scheduled for later this month.

http://www.delcotimes.com/general-n...r-faces-hearing-over-texting-facebook-account

Where does Centre County get these losers.

 

[BobPSU92]

She is a dog.

 

[dwiz]

She is a lame duck. She raised 0 dollars (absolutely nothing) for her re-election campaign and got destroyed in the primary. She is done, so she is doing her best to showboat in the media, especially during this Piazza case, looking ahead to bigger and better things. If past history is any tell, "bigger and better" is drinking alone with Ganim at Gigi's.

Oh, and texting the judge DURING THE TRIAL, while in the courtroom, and the judge is checking the messages while presiding over said trial, and responding! Only in Centre County. Led to the retirement of one "honorable" brad lunsford.

 

[The Song Remains the Same]

She is a lame duck. She raised 0 dollars (absolutely nothing) for her re-election campaign and got destroyed in the primary. She is done, so she is doing her best to showboat in the media, especially during this Piazza case, looking ahead to bigger and better things. If past history is any tell, "bigger and better" is drinking alone with Ganim at Gigi's.

Oh, and texting the judge DURING THE TRIAL, while in the courtroom, and the judge is checking the messages while presiding over said trial, and responding! Only in Centre County. Led to the retirement of one "honorable" brad lunsford.

Perhaps Lunsford was dipping his pen in the SPM inkwell?

 

[dwiz]

Perhaps Lunsford was dipping his pen in the SPM inkwell?

That would explain why the FOIA request was denied for all text messages between the two.

 

[Ceasar]

I have a bigger problem with the Judge engaging in the "conversation". DAs play to win and if they can gain an edge many of them will go for it. I would liken it to a DA who overcharges a defendant so they can use some of the charges to get a plea bargain. Totally unethical but it happens almost all the time. But the Judge is supposed to be the honest broker in the system.
Unfortunately I suspect these ex parte communications happen a lot more than many of us realize.

 

[dwiz]

I have a bigger problem with the Judge engaging in the "conversation". DAs play to win and if they can gain an edge many of them will go for it. I would liken it to a DA who overcharges a defendant so they can use some of the charges to get a plea bargain. Totally unethical but it happens almost all the time. But the Judge is supposed to be the honest broker in the system.
Unfortunately I suspect these ex parte communications happen a lot more than many of us realize.

You defined SPM to a tee. Thousands of charges against these frat boys. One of them didn't witness the fall, left shortly after the fall, wasn't on any of the text message threads and he got charged just as much as the guys that were punching the kid as he was passed out on the couch, according to the detective who testified.

 

[Ceasar]

You defined SPM to a tee. Thousands of charges against these frat boys. One of them didn't witness the fall, left shortly after the fall, wasn't on any of the text message threads and he got charged just as much as the guys that were punching the kid as he was passed out on the couch, according to the detective who testified.

dwiz, I have not followed the frat case to the detailed extent of understanding what the defendants are actually charged with. But a friend of mine who is a Deputy DA (not Centre County) told me these charges are going to be very difficult to prove and the DAs office could come out of this looking really bad.

 

[dwiz]

dwiz, I have not followed the frat case to the detailed extent of understanding what the defendants are actually charged with. But a friend of mine who is a Deputy DA (not Centre County) told me these charges are going to be very difficult to prove and the DAs office could come out of this looking really bad.

I've been at the trial several days (as an observer) and a lot of the charges are bunk. Just random numbers assigned, 50 charges of this and that, to so and so, just round numbers, based on no evidence. Had the "privilege" of standing single file in line with 2 of the defendants and Frank Fina in the single occupant bathroom line. That was fun. I think she really just guessed on the charges. She's embarrassing in the courtroom. The gallery and the judge are literally laughing at her antics, and she turns around and yells at them. Truly delusional about her worth. She tried the case in the media, having the parents go up and talk at the presser when announcing charges. I think a lot of the guys plea out, with probation. SPM will be gone by the time the trial rolls around, so maybe a real DA can clean up her mess.

 

[Rip_E_2_Joe_PA]

Where does Centre County get these losers.

Pitt Law School.

 

[PSU_l]

The thing I find most interesting is how long this type of corrupt communication and "inappropriate prosecutorial activity" has been going on with SPM and the PA Judiciary (including the PA Judiciary permitting the "prosecutorial misconduct" - where have we seen this before?).....and the massive extend of the numbers of inappropriate communications on each occurrence (and these are only the communications they are aware of, which is likely only a "partial record" of the inappropriate communications).

How about this excerpt:

Parks Miller on Friday defended her decision in May 2011 to set up the bogus Facebook account, under the pseudonym Britney Bella, saying it was only to collect headshot photos and calling it a legitimate law enforcement operation.

Czuchnicki called the Facebook account an example of “dishonest and deceitful” conduct that violated the state’s rules for lawyers’ conduct.

This clear "prosecutorial misconduct" was taking place during the exact same time frame that SPM was involved Corrupt Corbutt's OAG Prosecutors engaged in what has been proven to be "prosecutorial misconduct" in the Corbutt's unnecessary "Statewide Investigating Grand Jury" for Aaron Fisher's DPW-Initiated CSA Complaint! SPM played the central role according to Corrupt Corbutt, who was OAG at the time in the last months of 2010, that allowed SPM to pull a rabbit out of her dirty bag of "electronic media tricks" regarding a communication that magically allowed Corbutt to shift his UNNECESSARY V1 SWIGJ to completely, entirely and solely focused on PSU and PSU Adminsitrators based on on an electronic media communication that SPM gave to Corrupt Corbutt, and his corrupt Prosecutors who engaged in prosecutorial misconduct according to the PA Superior Court - a communication magically given to Corrupt OAG Corbutt the very day he was announced as the winner of the Gubernatorial Election and the new Governor of Pennsylvania (oh yea, let's not forget SPM was also BFF with Sarah Ganim, regularly vacationed together, etc... - oh yea, that Sarah Ganim that was clearly used as the Corrupt Corbutt's "Propaganda Wing" via a SWIGJ leaking campaign that is one of the subject-matter items of Sandusky's current PCRA???).

I wonder what Sandusky's PCRA Lawyers think of these disclosures regarding Ganim BFF SPM's dirty bag of prosecutorial tricks and the fact that this dirty bag of prosecutorial tricks (including the inappropriate use of electronic media and media in general like her BFF Ganim) has been being used by SPM, the PA Judiciary and the PA OAG Prosecutors (sometimes in unison) for many, many, many years including being engaged in such Prosecutorial Misconduct in the late-2010, early-2011 timeframe when she assisted corrupt Corbutt's OAG prosecutors and her BFF was busy using leaks from the same corrupt OAG to write and publish an earth-shattering "news-breaking" stories of a supposedly "secret OAG-driven Grand Jury" investigating Sandusky in March 2011???

BTW, both Judge Lunsford and Grine were heavily tied to, and high Conflicted in regards to, The Second Mile as THIS ARTICLE demonstrates. Not just conflicted, but these Judges in the Centre County Judiciary had massive incentive to shift responsibility away from The Second Mile who they were directly associated with, especially on a "political basis" and shift responsibility to PSU where they and the OAG (who was also conflicted) could relieve the burdens of these conflicts and STATE FAILURES!

 

[Art]

Pitt Law School.

In SPM's case, Duquesne.

 

[marshall23]

SPM is a human train wreck. Ganim specializes in reporting train wrecks and snow storms. Another thing they have in common is their lack of regard for the truth.

 

[justnitts]

The true operations in Centre County are very disturbing and always have been as long as I have been privy to behind the scenes,” Parks Miller said. “I am more than willing to ... be truthful and have my behavior be measured.”

That sounds like a threat to tell some "stories" if she is forced to do so. I'm curious to see if her threat provides her with some "protection" as this thing moves forward.

 

[PSU_l]

The thing I find most interesting is how long this type of corrupt communication and "inappropriate prosecutorial activity" has been going on with SPM and the PA Judiciary (including the PA Judiciary permitting the "prosecutorial misconduct" - where have we seen this before?).....and the massive extend of the numbers of inappropriate communications on each occurrence (and these are only the communications they are aware of, which is likely only a "partial record" of the inappropriate communications).

How about this excerpt:

​

This clear "prosecutorial misconduct" was taking place during the exact same time frame that SPM was involved Corrupt Corbutt's OAG Prosecutors engaged in what has been proven to be "prosecutorial misconduct" in the Corbutt's unnecessary "Statewide Investigating Grand Jury" for Aaron Fisher's DPW-Initiated CSA Complaint! SPM played the central role according to Corrupt Corbutt, who was OAG at the time in the last months of 2010, that allowed SPM to pull a rabbit out of her dirty bag of "electronic media tricks" regarding a communication that magically allowed Corbutt to shift his UNNECESSARY V1 SWIGJ to completely, entirely and solely focused on PSU and PSU Adminsitrators based on on an electronic media communication that SPM gave to Corrupt Corbutt, and his corrupt Prosecutors who engaged in prosecutorial misconduct according to the PA Superior Court - a communication magically given to Corrupt OAG Corbutt the very day he was announced as the winner of the Gubernatorial Election and the new Governor of Pennsylvania (oh yea, let's not forget SPM was also BFF with Sarah Ganim, regularly vacationed together, etc... - oh yea, that Sarah Ganim that was clearly used as the Corrupt Corbutt's "Propaganda Wing" via a SWIGJ leaking campaign that is one of the subject-matter items of Sandusky's current PCRA???).

I wonder what Sandusky's PCRA Lawyers think of these disclosures regarding Ganim BFF SPM's dirty bag of prosecutorial tricks and the fact that this dirty bag of prosecutorial tricks (including the inappropriate use of electronic media and media in general like her BFF Ganim) has been being used by SPM, the PA Judiciary and the PA OAG Prosecutors (sometimes in unison) for many, many, many years including being engaged in such Prosecutorial Misconduct in the late-2010, early-2011 timeframe when she assisted corrupt Corbutt's OAG prosecutors and her BFF was busy using leaks from the same corrupt OAG to write and publish an earth-shattering "news-breaking" stories of a supposedly "secret OAG-driven Grand Jury" investigating Sandusky in March 2011???

BTW, both Judge Lunsford and Grine were heavily tied to, and high Conflicted in regards to, The Second Mile as THIS ARTICLE demonstrates. Not just conflicted, but these Judges in the Centre County Judiciary had massive incentive to shift responsibility away from The Second Mile who they were directly associated with, especially on a "political basis" and shift responsibility to PSU where they and the OAG (who was also conflicted) could relieve the burdens of these conflicts and STATE FAILURES!

Here are some additional articles on this topic:

• Centre County DA Parks Miller Accused of Forgery - check out this interesting excerpt from the bottom of the article:

**************************************************************
"The name of another member of the Centre County judicial system also came up at the meeting. In December, Judge Bradley P. Lunsford was removed by court order from all criminal cases except DUI court.

Cantorna represented Jalene McClure in a case before Lunsford and alleged in an October motion that Lunsford had texted members of the prosecution during that trial. An open records request by Cantorna yielded text messages from Lunsford to prosecutors, some that appear to have been sent during the trial, according to court documents.

Commissioner Chris Exarchos said during the meeting that Lunsford is under investigation by the Judicial Conduct Board of Pennsylvania.

Lunsford said in an email that he has nothing to hide and disclosed all of his text and email records for review. A full review from any independent set of eyes would be welcome in order to have the matter put to rest, he said.

“I am very disturbed by these allegations made against me, but I encourage an independent and unbiased review in order to fully settle this matter,” he said.

Such allegations and investigations against members of the county judiciary erode trust in the courts, Exarchos said.

“The public must have complete faith, trust and confidence in the judicial system at all levels,” he said."
**************************************************************​

• Parks Miller reflects on first year as district attorney January 17, 2011 11:49am EST - written by BFF Ganim with glowing references from both Judge Lunsford and Judge Grine, go figure! Also check out the time frame - identical to the time period SPM is working her dirty bag of "social media" tricks for Corrupt AG Corbutt (now Governor) and Ganim was likewise a part of Corbutt's OAG "dirty bag of media tricks" try cases in the media rather than the court (i.e., Ganim's news-breaking story about the Aaron Fisher DPW-Initiated "Statewide Investigating Grand Jury was released on March 31, 2011).
  
• Finally, this "Flow Chart of Interconnections" between the Centre County DA, the PA OAG and the HPN via Sara Ganim is very interesting.