Vern Miller

Vern Miller
Attorney General of Kansas
In office 1971–1975
Preceded by	Kent Frizzell
Succeeded by	Curt T. Schneider
Personal details
Born	December 22, 1928 Wichita, Kansas, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Paula
Children	Three
Residence	Wichita, Kansas
Alma mater	Friends University, Oklahoma City University
Occupation	lawyer
Religion	Presbyterian

Vern Miller (born December 22, 1928) is an American attorney and former police officer.

Miller was born in Wichita, Kansas in 1928 and attended primary schools there. He attended North High School and Friends University.^[1] He served as Deputy Sheriff of Sedgwick County, Kansas from 1949 to 1954, and in 1948 was elected as Sedgwick County Marshal. After two terms as marshal, Miller served two terms as Sheriff of Sedgwick County. Having graduated from Oklahoma City University Law School, Miller (who had never tried a case in court before) was elected as Attorney General of Kansas in 1970 under a platform of "aggressive and visible enforcement of the state's drug and liquor laws".^[2] As attorney general, Miller participated in arrests and drug raids himself; a 1971 article detailed a Wichita drug raid in which Miller hid in the trunk of a car of an undercover agent in order to make arrests.^[3][4][5] When he was re-elected in 1972, he had gained widespread popularity across the state, winning in all of the counties.^[6] He served in the capacity of attorney general until 1975.

In 1974, he was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Kansas, losing by 0.49% to Republican Robert Frederick Bennett. Miller then served as Sedgwick County Prosecuting Attorney from 1976 to 1980 and opened up a law practice in his hometown of Wichita.^[7]

In 2009, Vern Miller: Legendary Kansas Lawman Mike Danford, detailing Miller's life, was published.^[8] One of his sons, Clifford Miller, is also a police officer (Sgt.) in Sedgwick County.^[9] Miller is a member of the Presbyterian Church, Kansas Bar Association, American Judicature Society and Wichita Bar Association. He is a former president of the Kansas Peace Officers Association.^[10]

References

1. "Kansas Directory". google.ca. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
2. "John Brown to Bob Dole". google.ca. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
3. "40 years ago: AG Vern Miller hides in car trunk, tackles suspect in course of drug raid". LJWorld.com. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
4. "THE STUFF OF LEGENDS: Vern Miller returns to Great Bend". gbtribune.com. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
5. "Miller returns to scene of the crime". gbtribune.com. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
6. Richard Shank (9 May 2013). "A reunion with Vern Miller". The Hutchinson News. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
7. "Vern Miller – Kansas Memory". kansasmemory.org. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
8. "Joplin Independent: Friend pays homage to Vern Miller, Kansas lawman". joplinindependent.com. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
9. "Sheriff's sergeant, son of Vern Miller, saw it all in 36 years with Sedgwick County". kansas. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
10. "Kansas Voter's Guide". google.ca. Retrieved 17 October 2015.