The NAACP has denied
filing a lawsuit on behalf of Corey Miller, who is appealing a 2nd degree murder
conviction to the Louisiana Supreme Court.
“The National Association
for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has not authorized a lawsuit on
behalf of Corey Miller,” NAACP Interim General Counsel Angela Ciccolo
told AllHipHop.com. “While the NAACP seeks to promote and guarantee the
civil and constitutional rights of African-Americans and other people of color,
approval for such a suit has not been given from the National Office. Such approval
is required before suits proceed in the name of NAACP.”
Initial reports suggested
that the NAACP was involved with the lawsuit, which was filed last Wednesday
(April 6th).
While the lawsuit was filed
by NAACP Louisiana chapter President Ernest Johnson on Miller’s behalf,
the organization has not formally endorsed Miller or his complaints.
The confusion apparently
started when Johnson held a news conference last week and released a statement
with letter head reading “NAACP Louisiana State Conference.”
The new release also contained
several references to the NAACP and Johnson’s office number.
Johnson denied any wrong
doing and said that he filed the lawsuit as a private attorney and not as NAACP
chapter President.
Miller’s publicist
Chiquita Simms told Louisiana newspaper The Advocate that Johnson approved the
press release.
“Mr. Johnson requested
that I use his title in the release,” Simms said. “We’re saddened
by this.”
The lawsuit was filed in
Baton Rouge and seeks to overturn an earlier ruling, which denied Miller a retrial
in the 2nd degree murder case, for which he is serving a life sentence.
Miller, who recently changed
his rap moniker from “C-Murder” to “C-Miller,” was convicted
in September of 2003 for shooting a 16-year-old to death in a new defunct Jefferson
Parish nightclub in January of 2002.
Miller has denied being
the triggerman. His attorney claims he didn’t receive a fair trial due
to the prosecutions alleged efforts to bolster their witnesses’ credibility,
by expunging some of their criminal records.
Miller’s first appeal
was rejected in March. Miller’s attorney said the refusal to grant his
client a second trial was politically motivated.
Weeks earlier,
Miller released a video filmed while serving out his life sentence and released
a new album, The Truest Sh*t I Ever Said, arousing the anger of local
authorities.
