Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
WORLAND – Former Worland man Jason Miller received a sentence of 50 to 100 years imprisonment following a sentencing hearing in the Fifth Judicial District Court in Worland on Wednesday, Dec. 18.
Miller, 43, was found guilty of three felonies by a jury of six men and six women on Aug. 27, which included two charges of first degree sexual assault and sexual intrusion of a child under the age of 13 and one count of sexual assault and sexual intrusion of a minor under the age of 18.
A trial originally began in April but ended in a mistrial after Miller’s mother submitted evidence that had been ruled inadmissible. This led to a new trial occurring on Aug. 26-27, where Miller was found guilty of the three felonies.
All three counts carry a penalty of a minimum of 25 years and a maximum of 50 years in prison, which is the sentence handed down by Judge Bobbi Overfield Wednesday. The first two sentences are to be served consecutively, which will add up to a minimum of 50 years and maximum of 100. The third count will be served concurrent in the Wyoming State Penitentiary in Rawlins. Miller does receive credit for time already served. The specific amount was not noted at the hearing.
Defense attorney Richard Hopkinson argued for all the penalties to be served concurrent rather than consecutively. Miller was determined to not be a good candidate for probation during a pre-sentence investigation by Probation and Parole. Another argument that was brought up by the defense was that Miller could be facing more time in prison than someone convicted of murder.
The victim in the case appeared before Overfield during the hearing to testify that he did not believe that Miller had been honest in his address to Overfield, and that Miller had been unable to care for the family, unlike what he had claimed earlier in the sentencing hearing.
Representing the prosecution was Washakie County Deputy Attorney Anthony Barton, and in his argument he stated that Miller needed to serve the sentences consecutively as he had not acknowledged the crimes or accepted responsibility for his actions at all.
Miller will have to register as a sex offender as a result of the guilty verdict.
The public defender Hopkinson asked the court for the $5,000 of court fees to be paid by the court, due to Miller being unable to work to pay the fees.
Miller’s sentence for these acts will begin after Miller serves a 10-year sentence in federal prison for possession of child pornography that he was found guilty of in 2018.
