Richard A. Miller
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Richard A. Miller | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board | |
| Assumed office January 4, 2023 | |
| Appointed by | Scott Rowland |
| Preceded by | Larry Morris |
| Associate District Judge for Marshall County | |
| Personal details | |
| Education | Oklahoma City University School of Law (J.D.) |
Richard Miller is a former judge in Oklahoma and a current member of the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board. His seat "fills one of the positions that requires experience or training in mental health services, substance abuse services or social work on the Pardon and Parole Board."
Early Career[edit]
In 1978, Miller graduated from Oklahoma City University School of Law where he had worked on the school's law review. He served as the Associate District Judge for Marshall County for 26 years. He also worked as a prosecutor for 11 years in the 11th Judicial District. In 2018, he was appointed Municipal Judge for Tishomingo and Madill.[1]
In 2022, Richard Miller ran for a seat in the Oklahoma House of Representatives but lost the Republican primary to Josh Cantrell.[2] He ran on a platform against "the Left's attacks" on "local education" and "determining types of cars we should drive."[3]
Pardon and Parole Board[edit]
On January 4, 2023, Miller was appointed by the Presiding Judge of the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals to replace Larry Morris on the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board.[1][4] This made him the third member and a majority on the board with associations to DAs. Miller's term is four years and began on the first day of Governor Stitt's second term in office.[5] In the past, Miller was charged with a domestic-related misdemeanor, being arrested in 1995 for violating the domestic abuse act when he pushed a woman "out of a doorway so he could search the house for his wife, who was hiding in a bathroom." He was accused of bias in domestic cases he oversaw because of this charge.[6]
In 2023, the board Miller was a part of denied clemency for Richard Glossip when it had a tied vote because one recused themselves. Instead of a tie weighing in favor of the convicted, it weighs in favor of the state. Randy Bauman, a board member of the Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, wrote that it was unfair Glossip did not have all 5 members in his case and pushed back against the idea that the board is a "safety valve" for an unjust and fallible criminal justice system.[7] In June 2023, former board member Adam Luck spoke out about how he was pressured to not vote the way he wanted to by District Attorneys and those who wanted to maintain their power.[8]
Continuing with the history of high turnover, in July 2023 Cathy Stoker resigned from the board saying that her role was not a "good fit" and Kevin Buchanan, another former district attorney for Washington County and Nowata County from Bartlesville, was appointed by Governor Stitt to replace her.[9][10] She resigned just before Richard Smothermon did in August 2023 after criticism from Representative Kevin McDugle. He criticized the board and Smothermon specifically for not giving Richard Glossip five full board votes.[11] Smothermon gave no direct reason for why he resigned, but the Pardon and Parole Board is "currently the target of a lawsuit brought by death-row inmate Richard Glossip after he was denied a clemency recommendation."[12] McDugle said that he would like to see the pardon and parole board "have seven members instead of five and he’s going to work during the next legislative session" toward that goal.[13]
See also[edit]
- List of district attorneys by county
- Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board
- Richard Glossip
- Cathy Stocker
- Edward J. Konieczny
- Richard Smothermon
- Kevin Buchanan
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board - Board Members". www.ok.gov. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
- ^ "Richard Miller". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
- ^ Affairs, Government. "Richard Miller". CAIR Oklahoma. Archived from the original on 12 August 2023. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
- ^ Hoberock, Barbara (5 January 2023). "Miller appointed to the Pardon and Parole Board". Tulsa World.
- ^ "Miller named to Parole Board". The Madill Record.
- ^ Hutchison, Mark (30 July 1995). "Madill Lawyer Wants Judge Barred From Domestic Cases". The Oklahoman.
- ^ "Our judicial system is fallible. The safety valve of the Pardon & Parole Board is failing". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
- ^ Caldwell, Elizabeth (2023-06-30). "Former parole board chairman speaks publicly for first time about service, resignation". Public Radio Tulsa. Retrieved 2023-07-04.
- ^ Maupin, Jennifer (2023-08-11). "2 OK Pardon and Parole Board members resign amid Glossip lawsuit". 2 News Oklahoma KJRH Tulsa. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
- ^ "Bartlesville Radio » News » Buchanan Appointed to Pardon, Parole Board". Bartlesville Radio. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
- ^ "Two of five Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board members resign". KFOR.com Oklahoma City. 2023-08-11. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
- ^ World, Barbara Hoberock Tulsa (2023-08-10). "Two former prosecutors resign from five-member Pardon and Parole Board". Tulsa World. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
- ^ "Two Pardon and Parole Board members resign amid Glossip lawsuit". www.fox23.com. 2023-08-11. Retrieved 2023-08-12.