ROCKLAND, Maine — A 79-year-old Washington man has been ruled not competent to stand trial on charges that he sexually assaulted a young girl.
Justice Daniel Billings issued his ruling Thursday in Knox County Unified Court in the case against Richard J. Miller.
Miller was first charged in September 2014 with three counts of unlawful sexual contact. In March, the district attorney’s office also filed an additional charge of gross sexual assault and unlawful sexual contact. The offenses were alleged to have occurred in 2014 involving a girl younger than 14 years old.
He had pleaded not guilty to the charges. His defense attorney also had tried unsuccessfully to get Miller’s statements to police suppressed from any potential trial.
The ruling came following an evaluation of Miller earlier this year by the State Forensic Service.
The charges were dismissed but can be refiled if Miller is later found to be competent. He had been free on bail since he was charged with the requirement that he not have any contact with anyone under 18 years old.
The State Forensic Service will evaluate Miller again to determine his competency, though no date was set.