C Murder Can’t Afford Appeal

Nearly two months after announcing plans to appeal his murder conviction, incarcerated rapper Corey “C-Murder” Miller has requested to be declared indigent as he is unable to afford the costs to follow through with his case.

According to a letter from Miller’s attorneys, the Southern emcee’s funds are limited.

Miller cannot afford the estimated $20,702.75 to pay for the entire case record and all hearing and pretrial hearing and trial transcripts and fees, according to a motion filed by attorneys Robert J. Smith and John Adcock. The transcripts would cost $17,335, the attorneys wrote. Miller would not have to pay the costs if Judge Hans Liljeberg of the 24th Judicial District Court declares him indigent. Miller is presumed to be indigent because he is incarcerated, does not own a vehicle or real estate or have income or savings, the attorneys wrote. They note that Miller’s trial attorney, Ron Rakosky, has not been paid. Rakosky withdrew from the case when Miller was sentenced Aug. 14. (NOLA News)

The rapper’s record company previously released a statement regarding the appeal last September.

RBC believes in Corey and for the local Parish judicial system to attempt to sideline the rebuilding of his life by convicting him unfairly solely based on his race is an outrage,” stated RBC publicist Brett Morrow. C-Murder will be appealing the murder conviction, and a public protest is planned in the Louisiana town where the rapper was tried on account of racism within the court system. “It’s amazing that this sort of thing is still happening in 2009. Corey had been hard at work attempting to rebuild his life and career,” Morrow concluded. (The Boom Box)

His life sentence was given to him over the summer in Louisiana.

Miller was formally sentenced to life in prison Friday for his conviction on the charge that he murdered a teenager in a Harvey nightclub in 2002. Judge Hans Liljeberg earlier denied a request for a re-trial made on behalf of Miller. Following the announcement of the sentence, Miller’s attorney filed a motion to appeal the verdict to the Court of Appeals. (WWLTV News)

A deciding juror from Miller’s murder trial later came forward to say the trial’s judge wanted a speedy decision and her fellow jurors pressured others to vote in their favor.

“This thing had to come to an end for this girl’s health, her sanity,” said juror Mary Jacob, executive director of a group that advocates for families and the disabled. “I believe what happened to Steve Thomas on the floor of the Platinum Club happened to her verbally…I was more worried about this little girl than I was about Corey Miller. Corey Miller will survive whatever happens to him. They literally made this 20 year-old girl so violently ill…She was shaking so bad. She ran into the bathroom. She was throwing her guts up. She couldn’t function anymore. That’s when I decided, the judge don’t want to listen to me, doesn’t want to listen to us. I told them, ‘You want him to be guilty? He’s guilty, now let’s get the hell out of here.” (The Times-Picayune)

Footage of C-Murder’s sister, Germaine Miller, and her reaction to her brother’s life sentence landed online last summer: