Alabama
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The Yahoo article quotes police testimony to that effect: "On the return trip, police allege that Miller parked his car in a manner that blocked the Jeep that Harris, her boyfriend and a cousin, who is an Alabama student, were in. Bradley also allegedly parked his car in that manner."
Update: Miller's attorney on Wednesday released a statement in an attempt to clarify his client's involvement in the shooting. In the release, Miller's attorney claims Miles texted Miller to come pick him up and bring his firearm with him, without the former knowing he and Harris had "exchanged words."
The release goes onto say Miller was never involved in a verbal altercation, never touched the gun and did not use his vehicle to block Harris' vehicle from escaping. The statement concludes by saying Miller left the area when shots were fired and, learning about a possible injury, was fully cooperative with police.
This has nothing to do with Miller's culpability for anything, but the victim's boyfriend drove off in the Jeep and did not seek medical help for the victim. When the police eventually found him with the dead woman in the car, he told them the shooting took place at a completely different location. This is just a weird case.
A lot of posters have brought this up, however this is one of those laws that depends on the State and City you are living in as well as the narrative the prosecutor will attempt to push. For example, (From what I recall 15 or so years ago), in Chicago if a gun you own was used in a murder and you did not report it missing or stolen, that is an automatic 5yr sentence regardless of your actions or intent. If you knowingly gave said gun to the person to the person who eventually shot the victim, that was an automatic additional 5 years on the sentence, plus any additional years you might get as being an accessory or a lesser degree manslaughter charge. I think more recently they've adopted the minimum 15year rule for possession of a gun used in a murder. That said, Chicago had one of the strictest gun laws in the nation at the time, and this law is not the same in all states and in fact in many states, there is no enhanced punishment for this.
Alabama is a state that has a 10yr minimum sentence for Class C felonies in which a firearm was used for murder:
https://restorejustice.org/wp-conte...mparison-of-firearm-sentence-enhancements.pdf
https://codes.findlaw.com/al/title-13a-criminal-code/al-code-sect-13a-5-6.html
So the question comes down to whether the DA would be willing to try getting Miller on a Class C felony charge for being the owner of the gun and obstructing the escape of the victim. That would likely be a tougher one to pursue unless you had direct witnesses seeing Miller purposely stop the car to obstruct the victim, but they could also choose to not pursue it if Miller decided to provide witness testimony against the shooter for a better conviction of him. As another poster said, people in Alabama have been tried for far lesser crimes on trumped up charges, so Miller should consider himself very lucky, but this is a really ugly scenario.
The Galloping Ghost
- Washington, DC
Roll tide...
The gun was legally owned by Darius Miles, one of the other Alabama players involved. He has been charged in this case. Miles left his gun in Miller’s car, then later requested he return it. Miller’s lawyer maintains that Brandon never touched the gun an he did nothing to restrict the car the victim was in. The authorities have video footage of the incident, as well as the murder weapon.
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That’s some weasely sh** there. No one was saying he was a “suspect.”
I would be beyond embarrassed if we took such great pains to minimize the—possibly minor—involvement of one of our star players in a homicide. It’s despicable.
That’s some weasely sh** there. No one was saying he was a “suspect.”
I would be beyond embarrassed if we took such great pains to minimize the—possibly minor—involvement of one of our star players in a homicide. It’s despicable.
I listened to Oats initial comments. I believe he clarified later. In part he said the coaching staff could not control what players do in their free time.
No matter what, intent or no intent, Oats wants his #1 seed and future 1st round pick protected and secured for March play and maybe April.
Wait...a defense attorney claims his client is totally innocent? Now that's gotta be a first, eh?
SuperMetroid
- Evanston
Parole Tide! 
What a joke of a program and fanbase
What a joke of a program and fanbase
RockyMtnIllini81
- Golden, Colorado
Of course you can't control kids 24/7, but that doesn't mean you can't take away playing time or enforce other discipline if they violate team rules. It's very hard for me to believe there is not some provision of team rules or the University Code of Conduct that is applicable to actions which are dangerous and detrimental even if they don't rise to the level of a crime. At a minimum, you might think Alabama would want to send a message that this type of behavior will not be tolerated. But, apparently, the behavior is not only tolerated, it is accepted.
Also, the comments you mention about controlling student-athletes were in Oats' initial comments, not the clarification. The comments were roundly criticized as tone deaf, and Oats later called those initial remarks “unfortunate,” which led to the "clarification."
Tacomallini
- Washington State
Thanks man - I’m gonna steal that to troll my Army buddy who’s a Bama fanParole Tide!
What a joke of a program and fanbase
This whole case is sad. Oates is a win at all costs kind of guy it appears. Why I always will have a huge amount of respect for John Groce, he signed his own pink slip doing what he thought was right.
I need a little “clarification” please. Are “unfortunate” and “stupid” synonyms?
USAFILLINI
- Florida
This whole situation describes Alabama to a T.
It's unfortunate when people are stupid.
Retro62
- North Bethesda, Maryland
I truly believe we would have handled this differently at UI. I know that sounds very judgemental, and possibly naive, but I just think the player would not have been back on the court immediately after being involved in, however tangentially, a murder. Since he isn't charged with anything, I think the next question has to be how is the student coping with it, and how does this affect, and reflect upon, our school and our program. I think it looks better for the student to be held out for at least a few games, in deference to the victim. It doesn't even have to be administered as a punishment to the student, but as a chance for the young man to reflect, receive counseling, and absorb what he has been involved in. Taking the court right away just reinforces the idea that it doesn't affect him and isn't an issue, which may not be what he is actually thinking and feeling himself. All we see is the student getting to play "as if it makes no difference to him," and that is not fair to anyone involved, especially the young woman whose life was taken.
IllinoisFan733
- Chicago
It’s easy to blame Alabama, and they should be blamed for tone-deafness and winning at all costs.
However, regarding Miller, I COULD see wrong place wrong time.
Preface: I didn’t grow up in a culture/area where handguns were prevalent. Some people do, it’s terrible but unfortunately a normal part of America in some areas.
If my friend texted me and said: “I left my gun in your backseat, can you swing by and drop it off”, maybe that’s a normal thing. If it was me, I would want to get somebody else’s weapon out of my car ASAP.
If I went hunting with buddies, and he left his hunting rifle in the back of the truck, later realized it and texted for me to swing by and drop it off, I wouldn’t have a second thought about it.
Again, it could be that his friend made a terrible and idiotic decision and Miller was literally wrong place/wrong time. It’s possible.
Going forward, I would definitely re-evaluate who I hang out with considering I’m about to be a top 5 NBA pick and multi-millionaire in 5 months if I was Brandon Miller.
However, regarding Miller, I COULD see wrong place wrong time.
Preface: I didn’t grow up in a culture/area where handguns were prevalent. Some people do, it’s terrible but unfortunately a normal part of America in some areas.
If my friend texted me and said: “I left my gun in your backseat, can you swing by and drop it off”, maybe that’s a normal thing. If it was me, I would want to get somebody else’s weapon out of my car ASAP.
If I went hunting with buddies, and he left his hunting rifle in the back of the truck, later realized it and texted for me to swing by and drop it off, I wouldn’t have a second thought about it.
Again, it could be that his friend made a terrible and idiotic decision and Miller was literally wrong place/wrong time. It’s possible.
Going forward, I would definitely re-evaluate who I hang out with considering I’m about to be a top 5 NBA pick and multi-millionaire in 5 months if I was Brandon Miller.
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