Miller's court appearance for rape allegation moved back

The next court appearance for the man who allegedly raped a woman and molested a 7-year-old girl on Bainbridge Island has once again been postponed.

Lawyers for George R. Miller, 24, told a judge on March 15 that he was evaluated by personnel at Western State Hospital and was found to have "impairment issues," according to Kitsap County prosecutors.

However, the evaluators wouldn't say if he was competent, or not, to stand trial.

Miller was expected to return to court on April 30, after his competency was evaluated, but the evaluation is still pending, according to prosecutors.

His court date has been pushed out another month to May 30.

Competency is required for defendants to stand trial. To be found not competent, authorities must determine that he is unable to understand the trial process.

If Miller is found not competent, prosecutors can attempt to find ways to make him competent to stand trial through medication, counseling or other treatments.

While competency can prevent Miller from standing trial in a criminal court, he can still be tried in a civil court.

The alleged rape occurred in early February at Miller's home on High School Road.

The alleged incident with the 7-year-old girl occurred in the bathroom of the Safeway on High School Road in June 2011.

Police said Miller admitted to the incident with the child, but he has denied the rape accusation.

Contact Bainbridge Island Review Staff Writer Richard D. Oxley at roxley@bainbridgereview.com or (206) 842-6613.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.