FORMER KING COUNTY DEPUTY PROSECUTOR FACES DRUG CHARGES

A former King County deputy prosecutor who resigned last year after he was
arrested for bringing cocaine into the King County Courthouse was charged
yesterday with several felonies for allegedly selling and attempting to sell
drugs to an undercover narcotics officer.

Douglas Willas Miller, 36, was arrested Tuesday night at his Ballard home
where he allegedly attempted to sell $2,400 worth of amphetamines to an
undercover officer, according to court documents and the state Attorney
General's Office.

He was charged yesterday with three counts of delivery of a controlled
substance, one count of attempted delivery of a controlled substance and one
count of possession of a controlled substance.

Miller is being held at King County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail. He is to
be arraigned at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

If convicted of the first three counts - the most serious offenses - he
could receive 10 years in prison.

But Miller could be granted a first-offender waiver because he does not have
a previous criminal record. In that case, he would likely receive jail time
and probation.

The first four charges, according to court documents, stem from incidents
over the past three weeks. The fifth charge stems from an incident March 2
at the King County Courthouse, when Miller was stopped by security as he
entered the building, searched, and found to be in possession of a small
amount of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

He was not charged at the time. He told investigators the drugs did not
belong to him and that he was not aware they were in his possession.

"We declined to file a case based on the insufficiency of the evidence,"
said Gregory Canova, chief criminal prosecutor for the state attorney
general, whose office was asked to prosecute by King County Prosecutor Norm
Maleng to avoid potential conflict-of-interest issues.

At the time of the March 2 arrest, Canova added, Miller's roommate "said the
paraphernalia belonged to him - but not the drugs."

The roommate told investigators he had loaned the paraphernalia to a friend
and, when it was returned to him, he stuffed it into Miller's bag without
checking it and without telling Miller.

The implication was that "the drugs had been left there" by someone else,
Canova said.

In the most recent incidents, Miller is accused of delivering and attempting
to deliver drugs to an undercover officer at his Ballard home Feb. 4, 13 and
16, according to Canova and court documents.

He also is accused of delivering drugs to the same undercover officer Jan.
30 on Capitol Hill.

Canova said it is uncertain whether Miller, if convicted, would lose his
license to practice law in Washington. But he suggested it is a strong
possibility.

"Historically, lawyers convicted of felony offenses have been disbarred," he
said.

Ronald K. Fitten's phone message number is 206-464-3251.