Eight months after he was nominated to serve as District Justice by then Governor Mark Schweiker and confirmed unanimously by the Pennsylvania State Senate, Fred Miller has announced that he will seek a full six-year term as District Justice serving the Northern Blair Magisterial District.
Miller, a graduate of Tyrone High School, Penn State University and a 1997 graduate of the Dickinson School of Law announced that he will file on both the Republican and Democratic tickets for the May primary.
Miller served as judicial law clerk for over three years to the Honorable David Grine of the Centre County Court of Common Pleas. As the clerk, Miller assisted Judge Grine in all forms of civil and criminal matters, including felony criminal jury trials. He also performed legal research and assisted in drafting Court opinions. Prior to his appointment, Miller was a full-time attorney with the law firm of Mittinger & DeBoef in State College where he practiced both civil and criminal litigation.
The Northern Blair Magisterial District encompasses the residents of Antis Township, Bellwood Borough, Snyder Township, Tyrone Borough and parts of Tyrone Township.
“It has been both an honor and privilege to serve the residents of Northern Blair County,” said Miller. I look forward to continuing to serve in that capacity. I believe my experiences from serving as District Justice the past eight months combined with my experiences in assisting Judge Grine at the Court of Common Pleas and in private practice uniquely qualify me for the position of District Justice. I have been fortunate to have the experience of both assisting a Judge on the Court of Common Pleas and sitting on the other side of the bench as an attorney on felony criminal jury trials.”
Miller has volunteered to be appointed to handle the criminal cases that arose from the countywide drug sweep in September 2002 as well as the recent drug sweep that focused on Northern Blair County. He also instituted a preadjudication program for underage drinking offenders that involves a drug and alcohol evaluation/treatment and has implemented new procedures to address truancy problems in both the Bellwood-Antis and Tyrone Area School Districts.
Miller, who resides in Tyrone is a member of both the Blair County and Centre County Bar Associations, Wilkinson-Campbell American Inns of Court, Tyrone Kiwanis Club, Elks Lodge #212 and the Tyrone Monogram Club.
He has also served as guest lecturer on the subject of criminal procedure at the main campus of Penn State University.
Miller stated that if elected, he will continue to perform his duties as District Justice on a full-time basis.
