A judge declared a mistrial Wednesday morning in the case of a Yucca Valley High School teacher charged with having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student. After four days of testimony, the jury deliberated for about 12 hours over 3 days before telling Judge Bert Swift Wednesday that they were deadlocked, 9-3, in favor of guilt. Zachary Miller, 34, is charged with three felony counts of unlawful sex with a minor and three felony counts of lewd acts with a minor, stemming from January 2014. Prosecuting attorney Lisa Muscari said that “in the interest of justice,” she intends to proceed with a second trial against Miller. The District Attorney’s office has asked for a pretrial date of February 20, at which time the attorneys and court will set a date for the second trial to begin, which will be no later than April 3.
