RETIRED PRIEST CHARGED IN SEX CASE.Byline: Ryan Oliver Staff Writer A retired priest was charged with 19 felony counts Thursday accusing him of molesting two boys in the 1970s and 1980s when he was assigned to Guardian Angels "Guardian Angels" can refer to:
The Rev. George Michael Miller, 64, appeared in San Fernando Superior Court on Thursday afternoon, where a judge granted Miller's request to delay his plea until Jan. 2. Part of the reason for the requested delay was that Miller plans to join a lawsuit scheduled to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court in March challenging the constitutionality of prosecutors to file charges in sex cases where the alleged incident happened many years ago. The lawsuit could deal a serious blow to the ability of prosecutors across the country to go after priests caught up in the Catholic Church's sexual abuse scandal. ``It'll affect a lot of cases,'' said Miller's attorney, Don Steier. ``The decent thing for the district attorney to do would be to wait until that matter is resolved before putting everyone else through the process.'' The case scheduled to be heard by the Supreme Court stems from an Antioch man charged with molesting his two daughters from the 1950s to 1970s. The statute of limitations A type of federal or state law that restricts the time within which legal proceedings may be brought. Statutes of limitations, which date back to early Roman Law, are a fundamental part of European and U.S. law. for sexual offenses is 10 years, but in 1994, the state passed a law that removed the statute of limitations for child molestation Child molestation is a crime involving a range of indecent or sexual activities between an adult and a child, usually under the age of 14. In psychiatric terms, these acts are sometimes known as pedophilia. cases involving ``substantial sexual conduct.'' Miller is one of six priests facing charges in Los Angeles County for sexual abuse of a juvenile. Miller was arrested Tuesday at his mobile home in Oxnard. On Thursday, he was charged with 11 counts of lewd acts on a child under 14, four counts of lewd and lascivious lewd and lascivious adj., adv. references to conduct which includes people living together who are known not to be married, entertainment which aims at arousing the libido or primarily sexual sensation, open solicitation for prostitution, or indecent exposure of acts with a child under 14 and one count of sodomy sodomy Noncoital carnal copulation. Sodomy is a crime in some jurisdictions. Some sodomy laws, particularly in Middle Eastern countries and those jurisdictions observing Shari'ah law, provide penalties as severe as life imprisonment for homosexual intercourse, even if the with a person under 14. Prosecutors asked for bail to be set at $1 million, but the judge kept the original amount of $500,000. Steier argued for his client to receive a $150,000 bail, but, he said, the issue was likely a moot point moot point n. 1) a legal question which no court has decided, so it is still debatable or unsettled. 2) an issue only of academic interest. (See: moot) because his client has no money anyway. ``The bail amount the prosecution asked for was ridiculous. It was not based on the man at all or his history,'' Steier said. ``He's certainly no flight risk or threat to the community.'' District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons Famous people named Gibbons include:
Miller also sought to delay his plea because he lacks the money to retain Steier as his attorney and he needs to find permanent counsel. Steier said other attorneys in the areas have expressed an interest in taking Miller's case. Police first began investigating Miller in May when a man who was a former altar boy at Guardian Angel said he was molested mo·lest tr.v. mo·lest·ed, mo·lest·ing, mo·lests 1. To disturb, interfere with, or annoy. 2. To subject to unwanted or improper sexual activity. by the priest in the 1980s. In June, a man who attended school at Guardian Angel in the 1970s told police he was molested by Miller. Miller, who retired from the priesthood in 1997, also served at other churches in Carson and Ventura County. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Retired Catholic priest George Michael Miller, left, appears at an arraignment A criminal proceeding at which the defendant is officially called before a court of competent jurisdiction, informed of the offense charged in the complaint, information, indictment, or other charging document, and asked to enter a plea of guilty, not guilty, or as otherwise permitted in San Fernando Superior Court on Thursday with his lawyer, Donald Steier, where he was charged with 19 felony counts of molesting two boys in the 1970s and 1980s. Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer |
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