Amicus Brief Filed in Centre County DA Case

State law mandates Attorney General’s jurisdiction in case

HARRISBURG, PA — On behalf of its membership, the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association (PDAA) has filed an amicus curiae, or amicus brief, with the state Supreme Court in the current litigation between Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller and the Centre County commissioners, solicitor and other officials.

In the brief, the association contends that the underlying allegations should be handled by the Attorney General’s Office, not a lawyer appointed by the county commissioners.  PDAA maintains that the district attorney properly referred the matter to the Attorney General’s Office due to a conflict of interest in accordance with the Commonwealth Attorneys Act.  PDAA maintains that the Commonwealth Attorneys Act constitutes controlling law on the issue and that the Act requires that the Attorney General’s Office handle this matter.

“We all have a vested interest in legal clarity in this process because integrity is a core value of the profession of district attorney and because the citizens of this commonwealth must have confidence in the system,” said PDAA President and Union County District Attorney D. Peter Johnson.

Johnson noted that PDAA’s brief is not a commentary on the legal merits of this case, but on an important legal matter impacting the profession of district attorney.

“No one is above the law, including prosecutors,” Johnson said.