Disgraced lawyer mistakenly released from jail early

NEW PORT RICHEY — Back when Jessica Miller could still practice law, she had this habit of not showing up for court when she was supposed to. A judge even put her behind bars because of it.

Now Miller's latest problem is that she's not in jail when she's supposed to be.

Only this time it's not her fault. It's the fault of the Pasco County jail, which mistakenly released the disbarred lawyer halfway through her 90-day sentence for indirect criminal contempt of court.

"We process 19,000 inmates a year and I'm told they don't make errors very often," said Pasco sheriff's spokesman Doug Tobin. "But in this particular case, they made an error."

Miller was taken into custody June 23 after a judge found her guilty of disobeying his commands, chief among them an order to appear in court, which Miller ignored to take an out-of-state vacation. Circuit Judge Shawn Crane then sentenced her July 8.

Take credit for time served, add the five days for good behavior the jail automatically assigns for each month of incarceration, and Miller should have been released near this past weekend.

Instead, online records show the jail let her go Aug. 6 — just 43 days into her 90-day sentence.

The problem, Tobin said, is that a corrections deputy entered a typo for her sentencing date. Instead of typing 7/9 for July 9 (the jail automatically adds a day when someone is booked), a deputy mistakenly entered 6/9 for June 9.

The Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney's Office didn't know Miller had been released early until a call Friday from the St. Petersburg Times. The judge didn't know about it, either.

But Miller, a 30-year-old mother of two in Holiday, won't be free much longer. Assistant State Attorney Mary Handsel said the judge told her to get in touch with Miller's lawyer and set a court date this week for Miller to turn herself back in to the jail.

"I'd rather she be given the chance to turn herself in," Handsel said. "But if she doesn't turn herself in … then I'll ask a judge to issue a warrant for her arrest."

The Times contacted Miller's attorney, Steve Bartlett, on Friday about his client. He didn't think there was anything amiss about her early release. He said Miller corresponded with him after she got out.

When Miller does return to jail, she might be in for a longer stay. Handsel intends to challenge those 15 days that the jail took off Miller's 90-day sentence for good behavior.

"I'm not sure on a contempt sentence that you can receive gain time," Handsel said.

The Florida Bar took away Miller's law license and seized her files earlier this year after clients complained they paid her for work she didn't do or did poorly.

The Pasco County Sheriff's Office is also investigating the disappearance of more than $200,000 in client money from her firm. Miller denied she took any of that money.

Missing money is one of the reasons why Miller was found guilty of indirect criminal contempt of court in the first place. She ignored a judge's order to appear in court to explain why she failed to carry out another order, this one to return $28,000 to a client in a divorce case.

Miller and her attorney could not be reached for comment Monday. But the ex-client whose $28,000 is still missing, William Morales, had something to say.

Comments on this article

by james	Sep 15, 2008 10:20 AM
So how did white screw this one up. Bob let another prisoner go.

by andre	Sep 15, 2008 10:20 AM
Any jerk who is fortunate to have been 'educated' before the teacher's union took over the educational(?)system, can track the monies miller spent, deduct the amount of money she received legally, and ask questions about the difference.Simple addSUB.

by First hand person	Sep 12, 2008 2:24 PM
Yes, of course we are making a big deal out Miller. Because for months she has lied to other attorneys, to clients, to judges and has tried to blame other people for her mistakes. NO ONE goes months without checking bank # to see balances.

by First hand person	Sep 12, 2008 2:24 PM
Miller signed the trust account checks. She knew very well that she cannot touch that money and she didn't care. Whether she gave the money to the paralegal or not, she still should have cared enough about her clients and protected their money.

by First hand person	Sep 12, 2008 1:52 PM
All these people that are telling the reporter and blaming the state attorney and the judge, IS YOU that need to get your facts straight. If it was your money, you would be sitting at the bench screaming guilty.

by Joseph	Sep 12, 2008 1:52 PM
It doesn't matter if the paralegal took the money, Jessica as the attorney is ultimately responsible for everything that went on in her office. She needs to cough up the shekels and fast!

by bert	Sep 11, 2008 2:59 PM
she should be put in prison

by Ann	Sep 11, 2008 2:58 PM
Please understand this: Jessica doesn't HAVE anyone's money!! She is a young lawyer who trusted a con-artist paralegal and got screwed, along with her clients. She was naive and inexperienced, but isn't a thief. A lot of the stolen money was hers.

by ''BEAR''	Sep 11, 2008 12:33 PM
WOW!!!!! All the taxpayer's money spent on just this ONE failure to appear!!!! To bad they cant spend this much money and time on the REAL lowlife dirtbags! What's next? 90 day Jail terms for expired parking meters!!!

by Osama	Sep 10, 2008 7:29 PM
When Baraq wins the election, we will confine all these infidels!

by Vinny	Sep 10, 2008 5:46 PM
I sure that even most low-life lawyers would say "wow, what a low-life".

by James	Sep 10, 2008 4:35 PM
None of you know what you are talking about. This issue of civil theft is yet to be addressed. Contempt is for failure to appear. Please all of you go back to Judge Judy and leave the real courts to the professionals.

by Candi	Sep 10, 2008 10:25 AM
As I have said over and over, it depend's on who you are, and not the crime. The Justice system does not work the same way for all. Which it should. Would you or I be able to only do half the time, if we did this?? I very much doubt it.

by Candi	Sep 10, 2008 10:25 AM
We had a Attorney in Michigan, that did the same thing. But are court's here gave him prison time 7 year's. And also when he get's out he has to try and pay the clinets back. He took there money and spent it at the casino's. Prison number know.

by Candi	Sep 10, 2008 10:25 AM
How do they screw up at the jail and let some one out by mistake?? Way to go Pasco jail worker's. God, how stupid does this sound?? Maybe they added her extra time, on some poor inmate that should have been released 6 month's ago. Stupid I would say

by Kathy	Sep 10, 2008 10:25 AM
Some of these comment's are stupid. Must be Miller's friend's writing. Trying to blame the paralegel, let's get real. Miller had her hand's in the money all along. I'm sure they had enough to charge Miller. Just stupidity letting her out by mistake.

by John	Sep 10, 2008 10:25 AM
This is the worst case of injustice I have seen in years, this lawyer has been tried in the newspapers and found guilty! I shared office space with this lady at one point, it was the paralegal taking advantage of the lawyer, this is disgusting.

by John	Sep 10, 2008 10:25 AM
I'm sure glad she wasn't a rapist or murderer.

by Doug	Sep 10, 2008 10:25 AM
She has NOT served her time! Throw her back in a cell. How about the restitution?

by Sawyer	Sep 10, 2008 10:24 AM
Did you know that the courts will lower bail for inmates w/weapons and other serious charges to keep room for folks that are nothing but air heads.I (KNOW)that after hours,Judges+DA's will sit at their bar, over .08 and will decide someone,s future..

by Truth	Sep 10, 2008 10:24 AM
If Miller would have just sold crack to some kids (Figuratively or literally)or killed someone in a drinking and driving incident, she would be free and clear already. What a farce of a justice system we have.

by DAN	Sep 10, 2008 10:24 AM
pasco sheriffs office has a recent history of improper release. recently a listed juniville runaway was released improperly to his grandparents and they did not even contact the parents who had custody then the junvenille broke the law in a gang case

by The Soldier	Sep 10, 2008 10:24 AM
This "Scumbag Lawyer" Does not have Morales' Money the money was taken by the paralegal. You should stop slandering people when you do not know anything but hear-say.

by Derek	Sep 10, 2008 10:24 AM
Mary Handsel has lost my vote, unless she readdresses her position. Contempt Punishment was harsh. Judge Crane would serve the public better to put a monitor on her until the clients money issue is resolved, at that point if malice is found-Jail her

by Informed	Sep 10, 2008 10:24 AM
@Mike, Last month, Ms. Hansel was ELECTED in a 3-person race. She begins her term in January 2009. You missed your chance to voice your opinion where it counts--at the ballot box!

by Janet	Sep 9, 2008 12:14 PM
This scumbag lawyer should be held in jail till she returns Mr. Morales money, as ordered by the courts.

by Kelly	Sep 9, 2008 12:14 PM
When the truth about what happened to Ms. Miller finally comes out, everyone will see that she has been treated unjustly in these newspaper articles. Much of the "missing" money is her own! Please, try to get your facts straight.

by bert	Sep 9, 2008 12:14 PM
The military way of recording dates is the way to go. 9 Sept 08 will not be missread.

by reader up north	Sep 9, 2008 12:14 PM
This reporter needs to gets his facts straight about the missing money!! Most of the missing money was stolen by the paralegal.

by Tina	Sep 9, 2008 12:14 PM
What a loser this woman is. I hope that she pays back the money she owes and is fined heavily by the state (and I hope she still owes law school debt). This is beyond low. I hope she raises her kids better than she was raised!

by Hudson	Sep 9, 2008 12:14 PM
come on released early pasco county government is the problem, their a joke of florida.

by MIKE	Sep 9, 2008 12:13 PM
IS this the same mary handsel who is running for a judge ship. Don't VOTE for her, she is costing the tax payers money by grand standing on this case. Miller screw up but she did her time, again the sheriff's office drop the ball, White must go!

by Jessie	Sep 9, 2008 12:13 PM
Good Lord! Just leave the woman alone. I understadn she broke the law, but just let her go home and be with her kids. Get a grip Judge.

by Larry	Sep 9, 2008 12:13 PM
I'm sure Mary Handsel did everything she could to mess with this poor woman. I'm sure she'll put a lot of people in jail when she takes the bench. She had no ethics or morals. Good job electing her, Pasco and Pinellas!