Panel Investigating Possible Misconduct in C-Murder Trial

Hip Hop | hiphopucit | July 26, 2010 at 9:30 am

A special panel in New Orleans, Louisiana that examines judicial misconduct is investigating a judge with ties to rapper C-Murder, who is serving a life sentence for the 2002 murder of a 16-year-old.

According to the Times-Picayune, the secret panel is investigating a credible complaint against one of the judges who presided over the case controversial case.

According to reports, the court could be investigating the two judges who originally presided over the trial, Judge Martha Sassone and Judge Ellen Kovach.

Sassone was running for re-election to the 24th Judicial District Court against Ellen Kovach.

Kovach attacked Sassone’s rulings in regards to the C-Murder case in her campaign advertisements during her bid to be re-elected in 2008.

Although Kovach eventually defeated Sassone, it was ruled that her campaign crossed ethical lines for using the C-Murder case as propaganda to be elected.

Just days after Kovach won the election, she stepped down as the presiding judge over C-Murder’s case.

In 2003, C-Murder, born Cory Miller, was convicted of shooting and killing 16-year-old Steve Thomas during a dispute in the now-defunct Jefferson Parish nightclub.

The decision was overturned by the Louisiana Supreme Court, when it was learned the prosecutors expunged the criminal backgrounds of various witnesses in an attempt to bolster their credibility on the stand.

In 2009, C-Murder was again convicted of the shooting, but controversy broke out once again, win a juror on the case claimed that she voted to convict the rapper, simply because another 20-year-old female juror was badgered for voting to acquit Miller.

“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,” said jury member, Mary Jacob.

C-Murder, who is serving a mandatory life sentence, is currently planning an appeal of the latest ruling.

The rapper claims that the juror in question was forced to convict him and that Kovach’s advertisements also prevented him from receiving a fair trial.