Updated at 10:44 a.m.
BENNINGTON — Justice League actor Ezra Miller pleaded not guilty in state court on Monday to a felony charge stemming from allegations they broke into a neighbor’s home in Stamford to steal liquor.
Miller, 30, is charged with burglary into an occupied dwelling, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. The Hollywood actor is also facing a misdemeanor charge of petit larceny, punishable by up to a year in jail.
Miller, who has starred in movies including “The Flash,” appeared in Bennington Superior criminal court Monday morning via video link from their attorney’s office in Burlington. Defense attorney Lisa Shelkrot, of the law firm Langrock, Sperry & Wool, entered not guilty pleas on Miller’s behalf.
Superior Court Judge Kerry McDonald-Cady allowed Miller to remain out of jail on conditions, which include not contacting the occupants of the home they allegedly broke into and staying away from the residence.
Miller is accused of breaking into the house on Stamford’s County Road on May 1 and stealing liquor, as previously reported by VTDigger. The homeowner, identified in a Vermont State Police report as Isaac Winokur, said a home surveillance camera recorded Miller walking down from the porch with what appeared to be three bottles of liquor.
The video then showed Miller handing the bottles to an unidentified person inside a waiting vehicle, according to a police affidavit of probable cause in the case.
Winokur, who told police he has known Miller for 18 years, said the actor also owned a home in Stamford and had been inside Winokur’s residence previously, but only by invitation. Winokur said that Miller had not been invited to the home on May 1 nor had they received permission to enter the house, according to the affidavit.
When interviewed by state police in June, Miller said they stopped by Winokur’s house that day to pick up cooking ingredients, including vinegar and cooking wine, for Miller’s mother who also lived nearby, according to the affidavit.
Miller told police that Winokur is a family friend who “should have known what was going on” because Miller’s mother asked Winokur for permission ahead of time. Miller also said they entered the home through an unlocked side door, the affidavit states.
Deputy State’s Attorney Alex Burke, of Bennington County, is prosecuting the case. Miller’s next hearing is scheduled for Jan. 13.
Monday’s hearing, which drew about 15 observers, including television crews, to the courtroom, was livestreamed on YouTube. Vermont court officials decided to offer this viewing option given the high profile nature of the case, said Bennington criminal court’s operations manager, Wendy Dickie.
People who want to observe Vermont court hearings remotely are normally given access to Webex, the state judiciary’s online platform. But for Miller’s hearing, court officials, concerned that a high volume of people watching could cause the system to crash, took precautionary measures, Dickie told VTDigger.
Ahead of the hearing, she said, multiple local and national news outlets had contacted the courthouse about covering Miller’s arraignment.
On Thursday, Miller’s attorney asked the judge to waive Miller’s appearance in court, saying the prosecutor had no objection to their appearing by video link.
Rolling Stone reported in June on accusations of unsafe conditions at Miller’s home in Stamford, where a woman and children were reportedly staying.
Miller was arrested in April on an assault charge in Hawaii, less than four weeks after they were arrested in that state on disorderly conduct and harassment, Variety reported.
In the wake of the multiple allegations Miller is facing, Entertainment Weekly reported that the actor issued a statement in August to say they had begun treatment for “complex mental health” issues.
“I want to apologize to everyone that I have alarmed and upset with my past behavior,” the statement read. “I am committed to doing the necessary work to get back to a healthy, safe and productive stage in my life.”
