ALBANY — Jasper L. Mills III, a well-known criminal defense attorney from Albany, was indicted Tuesday on multiple felony charges for allegedly disclosing the name of a confidential witness in a murder case in violation of a court order.
The 45-year-old attorney was arraigned in an Albany County courtroom before Columbia County Judge Michael Howard, who was assigned the case after multiple Albany-area judges had recused themselves from the case due to potential conflicts. That had apparently delayed the arrest and arraignment of Mills on a sealed, seven-count indictment that was handed up by an Albany County grand jury on Dec. 16.
He is charged with two counts of tampering with a witness, two counts of intimidating a witness, all felonies, and three counts of criminal contempt, a misdemeanor. Mills surrendered to police on Tuesday afternoon. He was represented at the arraignment by attorney George E. LaMarche III and entered the courtroom wearing a suit and tie and accompanied by sheriff’s deputies. Mills was not handcuffed and he was whistling loudly as he approached the judge and stood next to his attorney…