Judge suspends Washington 8th Ward deputy constable pending outcome of criminal case
A deputy constable for Washington’s Ward 8-1 has been suspended by order of Washington County Court because of criminal charges pending against him in Allegheny County.
John William Miller III, 29, was charged more than a year ago with recklessly endangering another person, official oppression and conspiring with another constable, Ronald J. Ciancione Jr., 36, of Pittsburgh.
The charges stem from an incident in Homewood in July 2017, when, according to a published report of a preliminary hearing last January, the constables’ vehicle was stopped at a traffic light when their vehicle was struck in the rear by a vehicle operated by Torrell Jones, then 28, of Lincoln-Lemington.
Jones testified he saw two men approaching and that one was armed. Jones drove away, but shots were fired, hitting the rear bumper of his car.
The constables told police they thought Jones was attempting to run them over. The state’s online court docket lists Jones’ charges of aggravated assault, drunken driving and being involved in an accident with an attended vehicle as being dismissed Jan. 11, after he testified at Miller’s and Ciancione’s hearing.
Also according to online court records, Miller and Ciancione are scheduled for a jury trial in November before Judge Mark V. Tranquilli.
Washington County President Judge Katherine B. Emery signed an order Aug. 23 that Miller was not to carry out constables’ duties such as serving warrants, transporting prisoners or providing security.
Her order was distributed to magistrates’ offices, the sheriff’s office, clerk of courts, district attorney, controller and court administrator.
Emery also referred the case to the Constables’ Review Board, which she said may delay issuing an order until the criminal case is resolved.
Miller and Ciancione remain free on nonmonetary bond. Although a condition of Miller’s bond prohibited him from doing constables’ work, it did not require him to notify Washington County of the charges.
Emery said Washington County Court was unaware of Miller’s pending case until it received a complaint about Miller that mentioned the Allegheny County matter.