WOODSTOCK — Attorneys representing an Upper Valley man held without bail for nearly four years awaiting trial on child sex abuse and child pornography charges are seeking to withdraw from the case, citing an “irreparable breakdown” in relations with the defendant.
Attorneys for Wayne Miller, who formerly ran youth-mentoring programs in the Upper Valley, filed a motion to withdraw as defense counsel in Windsor County Superior Court on August 8, according to court records.
The request came 16 days after the judge presiding over the case denied an attempt by the defense attorneys to first have the state’s supreme court weigh in on a point of law relating to the collection of evidence and declared the case “trial ready.”
Miller is being represented by White River Junction defense attorneys Evan Antal and Jordana Levine, who have handled Miller’s case from when he was charged in late 2021.
“There has been an irreparable breakdown to the attorney-client relationship in this matter,” the attorneys wrote in their motion. “Counsel’s continued representation of Mr. Miller in this case will result in a concurrent conflict as counsel’s interests may be adverse to Mr. Miller’s, and professional considerations require the termination of the representation.”
Antal and Levine did not respond to an email seeking elaboration on Thursday.
A scheduled trial for May was cancelled after defense attorneys said that Miller was incapable to “participate effectively” in his defense due to withdrawal effects from prescribed medications denied by prison officials.
A date of August 22 has been set to hear the attorneys’ motion to withdraw, which requires a judge’s consent in order to go into effect.
In the meantime, Miller’s upcoming trial date in September has been cancelled.