Jeff Miller’s presence causes disturbance at neighborhood meeting

Jeff Miller, the embattled Republican Indianapolis City-County Council member who has resisted calls to step down despite being charged with child molestation, caused a disturbance at a neighborhood association meeting Tuesday night with his presence.

Miller attended Tuesday’s meeting of the Fletcher Place Neighborhood Association. But apparently his presence there appeared to violate one of the protection orders granted by the judge presiding over his case that keeps him from being in contact with his alleged victims.

A police incident report filed by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department says police were sent to an address on Virginia Avenue in Fletcher Place “on a report of a disturbance.”

The incident offense is listed as “family offense- invasion of privacy.”

Miller was charged with child molesting in November after two 10-year-old girls told police he inappropriately touched and massaged them at his Fletcher Place home. The girls visited the Miller home to play with his 10-year-old son.

The charges say Miller performed or submitted to fondling with two children between Sept. 1 and Oct. 20. The charges are Level 4 felonies, which carry sentences between two and 12 years.

Miller did not reply to IBJ’s request for comment Wednesday.

The incident has added fuel to Miller’s fellow Republicans’ calls for him to step down. Miller’s power was reduced last Monday as council leadership stripped him of his committee assignments, meaning he can now no longer vote on those committees.

"He’s entitled to the presumption of innocence,” Scott Kreider, a Republican, posted on Twitter following the incident. "But as feared, service under the cloud of his case is a distraction to real issues and creates potential conflicts. It appears to now be a drain on resources that should be directed toward violent and other crimes.”

Andy Howard, president of the neighborhood association, said he was unaware there was a no-contact order that could have prevented Miller from attending the meeting.

He said Miller has paid his dues to the neighborhood association and the meetings are open for anyone to attend. But he said he believes Miller will not be attending in the future.

“He has told me he will send me his comments and I will read them at the meeting,” Howard said.

Howard said “it’s not my decision to make” whether Miller continues to serve on the council but said Miller should reconsider his position to continue serving.

“If this is going to be a distraction from him doing his job, he should consider stepping down,” Howard said.