New Charges for Darius Miles
Darius Miles, former Alabama basketball player, faces two new felony charges after Tuscaloosa County Jail staff allegedly found suspected synthetic marijuana in his property, according to court documents filed Thursday and Friday. Miles is charged with failure to affix a tax stamp, a felony, and second-degree promoting prison contraband. Bond was set at $2,500 on each charge, though he remains in jail on the murder charge.
The charges stem from a September 2 incident in which jail staff located suspected "paper route," a term for paper treated with synthetic marijuana, in Miles' property. Investigators said a test of the paper showed a positive result for synthetic marijuana and that the total weight was 37 grams. They allegedly did not find a tax stamp on the paper or its packaging, and the paper was in a bag containing documents belonging to Miles.
The deposition and charge sheet read: "Jail staff located suspected Paper Route (synthetic marijuana) in Darius Miles' property. I tested the paper and it showed a positive result for synthetic marijuana (promoting prison contraband II)." The investigator was also "unable to locate a tax stamp on the paper route or packaging." The document further stated: "Due to the paper route being located in a bag with documents belonging to Miles, probably cause was found to charge Miles with the listed charges."
Miles' attorney, Mary Turner of Turner Law Group, declined to comment when reached by AL.com on Friday.
Background on the Murder Case
Miles is awaiting trial on a capital murder charge in the January 2023 shooting death of 23-year-old Jamea Jonae Harris near the Strip in Tuscaloosa, according to previous reporting. Court documents from that case state Miles admitted giving his co-defendant, Michael Davis, a gun just before the shooting. A jury found Davis guilty of capital murder in May 2025 and sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Miles has not been a member of the Alabama men's basketball team since the day he was arrested in January 2023. He has repeatedly been denied bond in the murder case, though his lawyers have appealed the decision.
Legal Proceedings and Trial Status
In October, Turner Law asked circuit court judge Daniel Pruet to recuse himself, but the judge denied the motion. According to court system documents, the case was elevated to the Court of Criminal Appeals last November. The case remains with that court, and as of today, no trial date has been set after it was originally set to go to trial in December 2025.