ALBANY — Defense attorney Jasper Mills is suing former Albany County District Attorney David Soares, several assistant district attorneys and a State Police investigator, alleging they abused the legal process to prompt a criminal investigation against Mills and defamed him with the intent of damaging his legal and political career.
The federal lawsuit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York, also alleges Soares and prosecutors in his office withheld information from judges and ordered an unconstitutional search of several criminal defendants’ cells at the Albany County jail.
According to the lawsuit filed by attorney Jeffrey Shelly, the end goal of Soares’ efforts was to remove Mills as a defense attorney in ongoing criminal proceedings and to undermine Mills’ 2024 candidacy for Family Court judge in Albany County. Mills also claims he lost clients and business opportunities because of the publicity around the investigation. Shelly did not immediately return an email seeking comment…