Rapper gets suspended jail term in gun case
A rap artist caught speeding while armed last year in St. John the Baptist Parish received a six-month suspended jail term and $500 fine after pleading guilty to illegally carrying a firearm, state District Judge J. Sterling Snowdy said.
In return, the District Attorney's Office agreed to frop a charge of unlawful use of body armor against Corey Miller of Baton Rouge.
Miller was arrested in March after a Louisiana State Police helicopter clocked him doing 80 mph in a 70-mph zone on Interstate 10, officials said.
Miller, 22, who performs under the stage name C-MURDER, caused a stir in the Edgard courthouse when he appeared Monday with his entourage, including Baton Rouge attorney Roy Maughan Jr. and O.J. Simpson defense attorney Johnnie Cochran, Snowdy said.
Cochran has represented Miller and his older brother, entrepreneur Master P, or Percy Miller, in their personal and business dealings in Los Angeles, Maughan said. Master P is the owner and founder of the hugely successful No Limit Records.
Cochran had a personal interest in the case because of Corey Miller's relationship with Master P, said Maughan, who represents the Millers and No Limit Records in Louisiana. He was there to offer support to Corey Miller and render whatever help he could.
When State Police pulled Miller over for speeding, the rapper had a semiautomatic handgun in his waistband and wore a bulletproof vest. The pickup truck he was driving also had been reported stolen.
It is illegal to wear body armor while carrying a concealed weapon. State Police said Miller's handgun was concealed, while Miller maintained it was sticking out of his waistband.
Last July, Miller paid an $81 court fee to settle the speeding charge, and a charge for driving without a license was dropped officials said. A charge of possession of stolen property was also dropped after Miller proved that he bought the truck at an auction.
