Pinal supervisors seek bar investigation of county attorney

What happened

The Pinal County Board of Supervisors is seeking a bar investigation of County Attorney Brad Miller. The move escalates a dispute between the supervisors and Miller and places the matter before the legal profession’s disciplinary system.

The request concerns Miller’s work as the county’s elected or appointed legal officer, but the specific allegations and requested findings are not described here. A bar investigation is separate from a criminal case or a county board vote. It is a professional review of an attorney’s conduct under the rules that govern lawyers.

Why it matters

The county attorney advises Pinal County government on legal matters. A request for an outside bar review can affect the relationship between the county’s governing board and its legal office, while also creating a process beyond the board’s ordinary meetings and decisions.

The supervisors’ action does not itself establish that Miller violated professional rules. Any findings would come through the bar’s review process. The request also does not resolve the dispute between Miller and the board.

What comes next

The bar would determine how to handle the request under its procedures. That may include reviewing the complaint or referral, seeking information from the people involved and deciding whether further action is warranted.

The county board and Miller may also continue their dispute through county government. The next public steps will show whether the bar opens a review, what issues it examines and whether either side makes a formal response.