Vic Ryckaert and Kevin O’Neal are reporting for the Indianapolis Star that BMV Commissioner, Andrew Miller, was arrested for public indecency. According to police allegations, he tried to pick up an undercover police officer in a public restroom in downtown Indianapolis.
While a little icky, I’m not sure this is the kind of thing that needs to be criminalized. From what little I know from the report, so far as Miller knew, the undercover police officer was up for that sort of thing. Still, it’s probably not how a married chief of a major part of Indiana state government ought to be spending his Wednesday afternoons. Some tough sledding ahead for him and his family.
Advance Indiana has more on this and notes that Miller is far from the first politician to be arrested in this particular bathroom for this sort of conduct.
Miller Quits.
Per a post from the Indiana Law Blog:
From a press release just issued:
This afternoon, Andy Miller resigned effective immediately as the Commissioner of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. The governor has named R. Scott Waddell, the BMV’s chief of staff, as the new commissioner. Governor Daniels issued this statement about Andy Miller:
“Andy Miller has been an exceptional public servant. Indiana farmers, flood victims, motorists and taxpayers in general all have benefited from his hard work and leadership in three important capacities. I also know him to be a devoted father to three children, including one saved from cancer by Riley Children’s Hospital, for which Andy in turn has raised substantial funds in gratitude. If things are as reported, the law must be respected, but either way this is just an extremely sad situation.”
Waddell joined the BMV in March 2009 as deputy commissioner for policy. He later was named chief of staff for finance and administration. He owned and was president of Standard Locknut, Inc., a precision component manufacturing company in Westfield from 1977 to 2007, when he sold the company.
I think a C misdemeanor seems about right for such conduct. A C misdemeanor is a sufficiently petty crime that absent a long rap sheet, no one will ever do jail time for such an offense. Still, it seems fair that members of the public should be able to enter a public restroom without stumbling upon people having sex, and a minor criminal sanction for such behavior strikes me as pretty reasonable.
The GOP quickly disposes of another sticky situation.
Any Republicans proposing more tax cuts to solve this problem?