Barbara Miller gave birth to Steve in Scripps Hospital when it overlooked the children’s pool near the La Jolla Cove (long before it was known as the seals’ pool, and when whales still dared to migrate within viewing distance of our shores). His father, Ed Miller, moved the family to La Jolla soon after, and served as San Diego County’s District Attorney for 24 years.
Steve attended Stephen Decatur and La Jolla Elementary, Muirlands Junior High, and graduated La Jolla High in 1980. He then attended his father’s Alma Mater, Dartmouth College. Steve ran track for the college team for four years, and won the New England Decathlon Championship in his senior year.
After college, Steve attended U.S.C. Law School. During law school, Steve worked for California Attorney General John Van de Kamp, writing appellate briefs in criminal appeals. After law school, Steve went into the family business as a career prosecutor.
Steve worked as a Deputy City Attorney in San Diego, eventually becoming a Supervising Trial Deputy. After prosecuting numerous jury trials for the city, he became an Assistant U.S. Attorney in San Diego, and prosecuted federal crimes for over 27 years. During his career as a federal prosecutor, he served as a Special Deputy District Attorney, prosecuting second and third strike cases, was an instructor of trial advocacy at the National College of District Attorneys, and published an article on identity theft in the Federal Lawyer Magazine (a publication that is sent to every federal judge, Congressman, and Senator).
He retired from the U.S. Attorneys office just this year after scores of jury trials and 100 appeals before the Ninth Circuit, and is now running for seat 37 of the San Diego Superior Court.