Jan 14 2010 Jim Miller Two Enter a Plea

Grand Terrace councilman waives hearing in court case
By Mike Cruz
Posted: 12/29/2009 03:20:50 PM PST
http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_14087825

Grand Terrace City Councilman Jim Miller will enter a formal plea in January on a felony conflict of interest charge after he recently waived his right to preliminary hearing.

Miller, 62, is accused of voting to send $18,000 worth of city advertising contracts to his wife's newspaper. He waived his right to a preliminary hearing at an appearance Dec. 17 in San Bernardino Superior Court, according to court records.

At a preliminary hearing, a judge listens to witness testimony and then determines if sufficient evidence exists to support the charges. Miller has been charged with one count of felony conflict of interest.

When Miller returns to court Jan. 14, he will enter a formal plea on the charge. If convicted, he could face up to three years in state prison.

Former Grand Terrace City Manager Tom Schwab, who started advertising in the City News in 2006, said in September that the issue should not be in the courts. The city manager, staff and city attorney recommended using the newspaper owned by Miller's wife, Margie Miller, he said.

Former Assistant City Manager Steve Berry became acting city manager when Schwab became ill. One of Berry's first actions, he told county investigators, was to cancel the contract with the newspaper because of what he believed was a conflict of interest, according to investigative reports.

Miller has been a real estate services manager for San Bernardino County since April 2000. He was elected to the Grand Terrace City Council in 2004 and 2008. His term expires in November 2012.

Gampa Notes:

Steve Berry and or the city continued to advertise events in the GTCN even after he reportedly canceled the contract because he thought it was a "conflict". He used the use of the News Paper as a threat to force Jim Miller to be his obedient servant, and to keep Margie from reprinting the article about Berry being investigated for fraud. Then and only then did he run to the DA's Office with the help of Council Member Bea Cortez who has more possible conflict problems than Jim Miller if we use the same measure of justice under the law. Either the DA drops the charges or the Miller's Case will expose all of the problems in Grand Terrace and the DA's Office.