Rapper Corey “C-Murder” Miller cannot afford to hire lawyers to fund his appeal, but two lawyers have come to his aid in an attempt to secure a retrial.
Attorney Robert Smith, of the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute of Race and Justice at Harvard Law School and John Adcock of New Orleans are representing Miller free of charge.
The rapper, 38, was convicted of second-degree murder in the death of Steve Thomas, 16, inside of a now-defunct Jefferson Parish nightclub in January of 2002 and sentenced to a mandatory life sentence.
According to the Times-Picayune, Miller cannot afford to pay the $20,702 for case records and trial transcripts and fees, which alone total $17,335.
Since Miller has no known income, real estate or savings, his lawyers have filed a motion to declare him indigent, which would allow him access to the court records at no cost. A hearing is set for December 10. Miller is also facing a civil lawsuit in relation to Thomas’ death.
C-Murder is the brother of rap mogul Master P., one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs the Hip-Hop genre has produced. In interview last month, Master P. addressed C-Murder’s incarceration.
“He know he didn’t commit this crime but for him keeping it real in the streets and not saying who did it, where he at? He in the penitentiary,” Master P. told AllHipHop.com. “So sometimes your pride could kill you. My whole thing is: don’t let pride get in the way of what you want to do. Hip-hop artists got this ‘keep it real’ thing like they on the streets now.”
Master P. also blamed C-Murder’s rap name for some of the legal problems he encountered, despite his younger brother’s attempt to rename himself “C-Miller” to downplay the controversial moniker.
“Right now, C-Murder is a victim of a crime himself. He’s innocent on this case but because of his name, image and past, that’s given them the right to take him away off the streets,” Master P. said.