President Judge Miller turns down recusal request; jury selection begins July 14 in St. John homicide case

LOCK HAVEN, PA – President Judge Craig Miller has denied a prosecution request seeking his recusal from hearing the Brian St. John III murder trial scheduled for jury selection starting July 14.

Judge Miller made his ruling Thursday after a better than one-hour hearing on the recusal request from Clinton County District Attorney Dave Strouse.

Strouse had sought a new judge because of past Miller ties between the defendant’s mother, Beth St. John, and one of the defendant’s attorneys, George Lepley. Both the mother and Lepley took the stand and answered questions from the D-A about their past involvement with the president judge. Mrs. St. John had retained Miller as an attorney in his pre-judicial days in 2006 and Lepley has known and had a relationship with Judge Miller dating to 1984.

The D-A told the court he believes an alternate trial judge is required in the interest of fairness and justice, but Judge Miller ruled otherwise.

St. John is accused of fatally shooting Jacob Lee Haines, 21, of Beech Creek, on Feb. 26, 2021, during a gathering in at the St. John home in Woodward Twp. The accused has been in custody at the Clinton County Correctional Facility since his arrest shortly after the incident. He appeared in court Thursday in orange prison garb, without shackles.

Jury selection is scheduled for July 14 and 15. Judge Miller announced Thursday that the trial will now begin on Aug. 22 with two weeks set on the court calendar; it previously had been scheduled to start Aug. 15 with a three-week duration listed.