Grand jury arraigns 2 in Tuscaloosa shooting death

Former Alabama basketball player Darius Miles and his pal Michael Lynn Davis have been arraigned on capital murder charges by a Tuscaloosa County grand jury on Friday, Chief Assistant District Lawyer Paula Whitley informed ESPN.Davis and Miles were arrested Jan. 15 and ultimately charged with the capital murder of Jamea Jonae Harris. Miles was gotten rid of from the men’s basketball group Jan. 15. Davis is declared to have actually shot Harris while she remained in a car, which leads to a capital murder charge in Alabama. Miles acknowledged providing Davis the gun in the event and is charged with capital murder for”assisting and abetting” him in the shooting, according to Miles’deposition and charge sheet.The Miles and Davis cases were sent to the grand jury following a Feb. 21 initial hearing, where neither were offered bond.” We are not shocked with the indictment, “Davis ‘lawyer, John Robbins, informed ESPN’s Elizabeth Merrill.”We were anticipating all of it along. We enjoy that the state moved quickly on this matter so we can get into court and get this case tried as quickly as we can prior to a jury. We are going to intensely defend this case and defend my client’s right to safeguard himself when somebody points a gun at him and shoots him. “Miles ‘lawyer, Mary Turner, launched a statement calling into question the case being deemed as capital murder.”

While we are not surprised by the indictment based on the truth that an individual implicated of a criminal offense is not enabled to present any evidence

to the Grand Jury, we are nevertheless disappointed that the Federal government provided this case to the Grand Jury as Capital Murder considering the evidence revealed throughout our examination and the apparent weaknesses in the Federal government’s case brought to light throughout the initial hearing,”Turner said in a statement.Davis and Miles stay in Tuscaloosa County Prison. The 2 are expected to have separate trials.Editor’s Picks

1 Related According to court testimony, Miles and Davis were both at the Twelve25 bar on The Strip in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Jan. 14, as were Harris, her cousin Asia Humphrey and Harris’ boyfriend, Cedric Johnson. As Davis, Miles and Alabama basketball player Jaden Bradley were leaving the bar, Davis began dancing next to Harris’ Jeep.A quick spoken altercation in between Davis and Johnson ensued. Miles came back to eliminate Davis from the circumstance. Miles informed private investigators he saw a gun being passed from the front seat to the rear seats while he went to get rid of Davis. Johnson told investigators they were passing food back.Following the altercation, Miles texted Alabama freshman basketball star Brandon Miller to bring him his weapon. It’s uncertain whether Miller, who came to 1:43 a.m., saw the text.A minute later, Harris’ Jeep– driven by Johnson– pulled behind the automobiles of Bradley and Miller with its lights off. Davis and Miles then entered into the rear seats of Miller’s car– Miles on the right, Davis on the left– and searched for Miles ‘gun.According to police testimony, either Miles or Davis told the other,”The heat is in the hat,”describing a handgun. The other reacted,” Is there one in the head?”asking if it was loaded, which it was affirmed to be.At 1:45 a.m., Davis walked to the motorist’s side of Harris’Jeep and gunfire began. Authorities affirmed Feb. 21 that Davis fired first into the Jeep and Johnson then returned fire. In an interview with ESPN and during the Feb. 21 hearing, a defense attorney raised concerns about whether Davis or Johnson fired initially. Robbins informed ESPN his side would pursue a”defense of validation.”Davis stumbled upon the street firing into the Jeep and into Miller’s windscreen, according to video viewed by ESPN. Authorities affirmed that one of the shots fired by Davis eliminated Harris in the passenger seat of her vehicle.Miller’s lawyer, Jim Standridge, stated in a declaration that his customer was already on his way to pick up Miles when the text was sent and that Miller was uninformed Miles’weapon remained in his rear seat since it was concealed by clothes. Miller has not been charged with a criminal activity and Whitley told AL.com there was nothing he might be charged with.Miller has complied completely with the investigation, according to his attorney and the authorities.