Summer will be nearly over before two judges decide on a Penticton city councillor’s fate after his two criminal trials on historic sexual abuse charges.

James Miller is scheduled to return to a Sarnia, Ontario courthouse twice in September as he faces multiple charges for historic sex crimes against children.

In April and May, he stood trial in Ontario Superior Courts as three now-men alleged he abused them more than 20 years ago. They were players on youth basketball teams Miller had coached and they came forward with the allegations years later.

During his two trials, Miller said he coached around 900 boys in the 17 years he volunteered for the youth program.

Though he was found not guilty on similar charges in 2005, three more alleged victims came forward after Miller was elected to Penticton city council.

Since he was charged in 2024, Miller has been suspended from city council but continues to get his salary. He is also on unpaid leave from the Okanagan Newspaper Group, where he’s an editor of the Kelowna Courier and Penticton Herald. It’s not clear how long his leave has been unpaid.

His second trial concluded last month and a verdict is set to be delivered, Sept. 18. On June 5, lawyers appeared before a judge and scheduled a verdict to be heard, Sept. 14, for the second trial.

If found guilty in either case, Miller will automatically be disqualified from public office.