C-MURDER: Rapper Lives His Lyrics

Red-Carpet Treatment

Also around this time, on August 16, Miller granted an interview to a reporter from a local television station while attending the premiere of Spike Lee's film, When the Levees Broke, at the New Orleans Arena. At the event, attended by thousands of New Orleans residents, Miller was allowed to enter the Arena through the red-carpet celebrity entrance, where the interview took place.

Prosecutors contended that Miller's interview with Camille Whitworth of local NBC-affiliate WDSU Channel 6 was a violation of the conditions of his bond, but Sassone forbade them from pursuing the matter publicly because of an earlier gag order. However, the interview drew Sassone's ire when she heard about it, and she reprimanded Miller during a hearing on August 30. Accusing Miller of using "poor judgment" in allowing himself to be interviewed, Sassone declared, "You're on home incarceration to prepare for a defense, not to have a social life."

Defending his actions, Miller and his attorneys contended he had been at the event to meet briefly with Lee on a project and had been back home before 10:00 p.m. Miller also claimed he had been unaware that he would be allowed to enter by the red-carpet entrance and that he had never discussed the murder charge against him. These arguments, however, failed to convince Sassone who stuck by her decision to return him to full home incarceration.

No trial date has been set for the attempted murder charges pending against Miller, stemming from the August 2001 incident in Baton Rouge. Reportedly, prosecutors in East Baton Rouge Parish are waiting to see what will happen in Miller's Jefferson Parish retrial. There were also attempts to seek a change of venue for the retrial but they were unsuccessful.