Judge Denies Bias, Will Further Consider Recusal Motion In Darius Miles Capital Murder Case

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court Judge Daniel Pruet heard arguments from the defense team of capital murder suspect and former Alabama basketball player Darius Miles on Friday and declined to rule on a motion for his recusal filed by the Turner Law Group yesterday.

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As Patch previously reported, Turner Law Group and defense attorney Mary Turner asked Judge Pruet to recuse himself from presiding over Miles’ upcoming capital murder trial, arguing the judge’s past remarks and handling of key hearings create an appearance of bias.

Judge Pruet declined to issue a ruling on the motion on Friday and instead said he would continue to consider Turner's request, mainly with respect to any perception or appearance of bias.

"If it were just about bias, your motion would be denied today," Judge Pruet told Turner from the bench, before saying he intended to better familiarize himself with the body of case law that could potentially establish precedent for him to recuse.

In the motion filed on Thursday, Turner contended that Judge Pruet had “engaged in conduct that would lead a reasonable person to question [his] impartiality."

Judge Pruet responded Friday by saying, "I'm not biased or prejudiced against you or your client," before going on to insist that Miles had received more accommodations than any other defendant in his courtroom.

Miles has been held without bond in the Tuscaloosa County Jail since Jan. 15, 2023, for allegedly providing Michael Lynn Davis the gun used in a shootout on Grace Street that resulted in the death of 23-year-old Birmingham resident Jamea Harris. Prosecutors claim that Miles had prior knowledge that Davis intended to use the gun in the commission of a violent crime.

As Patch previously reported, Judge Pruet presided over the murder trial for Davis, which saw a Tuscaloosa County jury find him guilty of capital murder. He was also sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole shortly after the jury returned its verdict.

The filing on Thursday points to exchanges at immunity, bond, and suppression hearings where the court allegedly curtailed or rushed defense arguments while allowing broader presentation by the state.

One example of this provided by the defense occurred during a hearing on Oct. 3, which was discussed during Friday's proceedings. As Patch previously reported, this hearing saw the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office ask Judge Pruet to block a subpoena from the defense team, arguing the request was overly broad and sought information that was irrelevant to the case.

Turner alleges that Judge Pruet allowed the TCSO Attorney Jay Stuck to argue for several minutes completely without interruption, while cutting off the defense mid-sentence no less than five times in a similar span.

After a brief discussion of the Oct. 3 hearing, Judge Pruet reiterated that "there's nothing in the motion that would require recusal."

He also said he would allow Turner to supplement the official record with the information she alleges she was denied the chance to discuss during the Oct. 3 hearing.

No timetable has been given for Judge Pruet's ruling on the recusal motion.

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