A trial has been scheduled for Michael Davis, who was charged with capital murder for allegedly shooting Jamea Harris on the Strip on Jan. 15, 2023. Judge Daniel Pruet of the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court of Alabama set the date for May 5.
Darius Miles, a former University of Alabama basketball player, has also been separately indicted on capital murder charges for allegedly providing his handgun to Davis, his friend, just before the shooting. According to court documents, a trial date for Miles’ case has yet to be announced.
A capital murder conviction is eligible for the death penalty; however, Chief Assistant District Attorney Paula Whitley of the Tuscaloosa DA’s Office said in a statement that prosecutors elected not to pursue the death penalty in the event of Davis’ conviction after “consultation with the victim’s family and careful consideration of” Alabama law outlining “aggravating circumstances.”
According to Alabama law, the state must prove that aggravating circumstances, or factors that denote a crime’s severity, exist and outweigh any “mitigating circumstances,” to secure the death penalty for a defendant.
Attorneys for Davis did not respond to individual requests for comment.
Investigators said the Jan. 15 incident occurred after Davis and Miles got into an argument with a group of people including Harris and her boyfriend, Cedric Johnson. Miles then allegedly asked then-Alabama basketball player Brandon Miller to bring Miles’ handgun.
Miller, who now plays for the Charlotte Hornets, was not charged for allegedly bringing Miles’ handgun. According to court records, he is among a list of witnesses that have been subpoenaed to testify at Davis’ trial.
Miles and Davis have been held without bond in the Tuscaloosa County Jail since their arrests on Jan. 15, 2023. Their respective attorneys have argued that the men acted in self-defense.
Editor’s note: This story was updated May 6 to correct an error. The Chief Assistant District Attorney’s last name is Whitley, not Whitney.
