Judge Denies Request For Recusal In Darius Miles Capital Murder Case

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Tuscaloosa County Circuit Judge Daniel Pruet on Thursday denied a motion to recuse himself from presiding over the capital murder case of former Alabama basketball player Darius Miles, rejecting arguments from defense attorneys who alleged bias in his handling of pretrial matters.

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In an order filed Thursday, Judge Pruet wrote that “the undersigned is not biased for or against any party in this case,” adding that none of his actions or courtroom conduct “would lead a reasonable person to question the court’s impartiality.”

The motion was argued at a hearing earlier this month by defense attorney Mary Turner of Turner Law Group.

As Patch previously reported, Miles is charged with capital murder in the January 2023 shooting death of Jamea Harris, a 23-year-old Birmingham mother, on Grace Street near The Strip in Tuscaloosa.

Co-defendant Michael Davis has already gone to trial, was found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He is currently serving his sentence at the Donaldson Correctional Facility in Bessemer.

Miles stands accused of providing Davis with the handgun used in the shooting, with prosecutors arguing that he knew the gun would be used in the commission of a violent crime.

The Turner Law Group has argued self-defense since the shooting, insisting that Miles and Davis felt threatened by Harris' boyfriend — Cedric Johnson — who was driving his girlfriend's Jeep at the time of the fatal shooting and shot Davis twice during the exchange of gunfire.

Harris was sitting in the passenger seat of the Jeep and killed almost instantly when she was struck in the face by a bullet.

Patch previously reported that Turner filed the motion to recuse earlier this month, arguing that Judge Pruet’s comments and courtroom management showed possible prejudice and warranted his removal.

The motion came after more than two years of pretrial hearings, including disputes over immunity claims, bond requests and access to discovery materials.

In the eight-page order, Judge Pruet rejected each example cited by the defense, writing that they reflected “routine courtroom management” rather than bias.

During the last hearing when the motion was considered, Judge Pruet also noted that Miles’ legal team had received “more accommodations from this court than any other defendant," in the judge's time on the bench.

Judge Pruet also addressed a claim from the defense regarding his reference to Miles’ “apparent lack of truthfulness” during an interview with investigators. He said that comment merely summarized testimony from a law enforcement witness, not his own opinion of Miles’ credibility, and that unlike the precedent cited by defense attorneys, he had made no public statements or personal determinations that could prejudice a jury.

The judge further dismissed arguments that his remarks about the “probability of conviction” or “likely sentence” indicated bias, saying those terms are taken directly from the Alabama Rules of Criminal Procedure, which governs how judges evaluate bond requests in capital cases.

“The defendant’s argument is without merit,” Judge Pruet wrote, emphasizing that his previous rulings were based strictly on law and evidence — not personal opinion.

With the motion denied, Judge Pruet will continue to preside over the case as Miles awaits trial, with jury selection set to begin Dec. 1.

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