Basketball faces off against justice; Where to place limits in sports fame

Right now, the mix of justice and fame is on the line. People are choosing to win basketball games over convicting someone. Even if the person didn’t do the exact crime, they still had a part in it.

     If you don’t know what happened, on Jan.15, a fatal shooting occurred, killing 23-year-old Jamea Jonae Harris. Former Alabama basketball players Darius Miles, who plays small forward, and Michael Davis who plays center, have been charged in her death. Meanwhile, Brandon Miller, who plays forward, is free of charge and continues to participate in basketball games.

     According to police testimony, Miller dropped Miles off at a club, but did not stay because the line was too long. Harris and her boyfriend stopped at a nearby grill to get something to eat, which is where they encountered Davis. Miles and Davis walked away from the Harris’ Jeep, but later returned with a gun and two vehicles trapping the couple. An argument resulted in violent ends for Harris.

     It has been reported that Miles texted Miller asking him to bring Miles’ gun to him, and one of the two vehicles was Miller’s car. Now  he didn’t do the actual killing and the killing might not have been at first intention, but he did bring the gun to Miles and Davis. That should account for something.

     According to Suhre & Associates, LLC, an accessory to a crime is anyone who helped someone else commit the offense. Accessories before the fact provide assistance before the crime is committed, which Miller did do. He delivered a gun to Miles and Davis. That gun was used to kill Harris.

     Miles has been charged with capital murder even though he did not fire any shots. Davis is alleged to have fired multiple shots into the victim’s car and is charged with capital murder. Miller, on the other hand, is not charged with anything, even based on the allegations of his delivery of the gun to Miles and the placement of his vehicle to prevent the victim’s car from leaving.

     While the other two are not playing basketball anymore, Miller continues to play.  But, why? He had a hand in the crime. He gave the gun to Miles and Davis, which should account for something. Even if he’s a great basketball player, he should be held accountable for transporting a gun. It would be different if that gun wasn’t used to shoot Harris, but it was. If that gun was never there in the first place, she might have been alive still. Miller transporting that gun would mean either life or death. 

     But, you never know the outcome; it could have ended differently, but it didn’t. This is why Miller should be charged with something. He was a part of the crime, even though he technically didn’t do it. Why should he not be charged?