Sen. Joshua Miller enters no contest plea in vehicle vandalism case
WARWICK, R.I. (WJAR) — Sen. Joshua Miller, a Democrat representing parts of Cranston, entered a no-contest plea Tuesday at his arraignment in a vehicle vandalism case.
The state senator was accused of keying a car in the parking lot of the Garden City Center in June.
On Tuesday, he took full responsibility for both charges of vandalism and obstruction of a police officer.
"I'm truly sorry for my actions in this matter, and I'm disappointed in my behavior and lack of judgment," Miller said in court. "In a blink of an eye, I exhibited a lack of self-control that has impacted my reputation."
He apologized to his constituents, supporters, and his Senate colleagues.
A judge ordered him to pay $2,850 for the damage and make a $250 donation to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank.
"Mr. Miller is not being treated any different and was not treated any different than anybody else ... Cranston Police Department sees everything right down the line. They're the fairest department in the state of Rhode Island," Cranston City Socitor Chris Millea said.
Miller has no prior record, so if he has no more run-ins with the law, the charges will be expunged from his record.
In a statement, Senate President Dominick Ruggerio called Miller a "dedicated and passionate public servant" and declined to further punish the state senator.
"I don’t believe that any one of us would want to be judged solely upon our worst moments," Ruggerio said in a statement. "I choose to look at the whole of Sen. Miller’s public service, including the countless hours he has spent working to make our state a better place to live and work."
Miller's interaction with police in Garden City and his arrest were recorded on body camera video.
The owner of the vehicle called the police and described the man they say keyed the vehicle.
Police later identified the suspect as Miller.
Miller initially denied damaging the vehicle and said he thought he was being followed and verbally threatened by the person in the car.
When police went to interview Miller at his home later on June 22, the senator admitted the damage.
Critics want Miller to resign, but he said he has no intention of stepping down.