Former Sumter County Commissioner Oren Miller’s perjury conviction has been overturned by an appellate panel of judges.
The decision by the Fifth District Court of Appeal was announced Thursday morning.
The Village of Sanibel resident was overjoyed at the news.
“I am thankful the judges found me not guilty,” Miller said.
Miller served two and a half months behind bars as a result of his conviction in 2022. A jury handed down its verdict on Nov. 18. In addition to jail time, he was sentenced to 36 months of probation.
His case went before the appeal panel in September.
The perjury charge against Miller stemmed from interviews with the prosecutor’s office about phone calls Miller had with fellow former Commissioner Gary Search.
According to their ruling, the judges found that Miller had been truthful and forthcoming during interviews. In fact, Miller attempted to clarify the record.
“Such correction or clarification is not only permitted—it is encouraged. Permitting an individual to clarify or correct prior false or erroneous statements advances the core of judicial functions—a just determination of cases based on applicable law and the truth born from evidence. Florida law has long recognized this enduring principle,” the judicial panel wrote in the decision.
Miller and Search were elected to the Sumter County Commission in 2020. Their election came after a huge property tax increase in 2019 that was seen as a sweetheart deal for the Developer of The Villages.