Preliminary Hearing Set For New Charges Against Former Tide Basketball Player

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Former University of Alabama basketball player Darius Miles is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing next month on two new criminal charges while awaiting trial for capital murder.

Click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter and breaking news alerts.

Court records show Tuscaloosa County District Judge James E. Gentry issued the order setting Miles' preliminary hearing for 1:30 p.m. Oct. 20 at the Tuscaloosa County Jail.

The hearing involves two cases filed earlier this month after investigators said suspected synthetic marijuana was discovered among Miles' belongings inside the jail.

Miles is charged with second-degree promoting prison contraband and a tax stamp violation. Bond was previously set at $2,500 on each charge, although Miles remains held without bond in his separate capital murder case.

According to court documents previously obtained by Patch, a Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office agent responded to the jail Sept. 2 after jail staff reported finding suspected "Paper Route," or synthetic marijuana, among Miles' property. Investigators said the substance tested positive for synthetic marijuana and weighed approximately 37 grams.

Authorities said the suspected drug-soaked paper was found inside a bag containing documents belonging to Miles.

Investigators also alleged that no tax stamp was found on the paper or its packaging, resulting in the second charge.

The evidence was photographed and sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for further examination, according to the court documents.

Gentry's latest order notes that the preliminary hearing was scheduled beyond 21 days because of the court's calendar.

The new cases are separate from the capital murder charge Miles has faced since January 2023 in connection with the shooting death of 23-year-old Jamea Harris on Grace Street near The Strip in Tuscaloosa.

Prosecutors accuse Miles of providing the handgun allegedly used by his childhood friend, Michael Lynn Davis, during the confrontation that resulted in Harris' death.

Davis was convicted of capital murder in May 2025 and later sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Miles' attorneys have maintained that he did not fire the fatal shot and have argued that the circumstances surrounding the confrontation support a claim of self-defense.

His capital murder case has yet to go to trial as his attorneys pursue an appeal related to their effort to have the judge assigned to the case recused.

Have a news tip or suggestion on how I can improve Tuscaloosa Patch? Maybe you're interested in having your business become one of the latest sponsors for Tuscaloosa Patch? Email all inquiries to me at ryan.phillips@patch.com