Miles Bridges’ hearing delayed for 7th time; Hornets’ season will start without him
A preliminary hearing in Miles Bridges’ felony domestic violence case in Los Angeles was delayed for the seventh time Monday and moved to Nov. 3.
A “prelim,” as it is known, will be an important crossroads in Bridges’ case in which prosecutors will be required to produce evidence to show the Charlotte Hornets free agent has committed a crime.
A spokesman for Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon did not immediately respond to a Monday email from The Charlotte Observer seeking an explanation for the latest delay.
The office of Bridges’ defense attorney, John Barnett of Tustin, Calif., did not respond to an Observer request earlier Monday for an interview.
Bridges, the Hornets’ leading scorer last year, was arrested on June 29 in Los Angeles and charged with beating up his girlfriend in front of their two children. Police described the incident as “Intimate Partner Violence with Injury.”
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He pleaded not guilty on July 20 to three felony charges: injuring a child’s parent; and two counts of child abuse under circumstances or conditions likely to cause great bodily injury or death. If convicted of all three counts, Bridges faces up to almost 12 years in prison.
The case has remained immobile ever since, further clouding the player’s status with the team for the coming season, which starts Wednesday.
Bridges, the 12th overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft, became a restricted free agent in July when the Hornets tendered him a $7.9 million qualifying offer.
That offer expired Oct. 1, meaning the Hornets still have a right to match any deal he receives on the free-agent market. But now, the team must renegotiate a new contract with Bridges if it decides to bring him back.
Prior to his arrest, Bridges was expected to receive offers of up to $25 million a year.
Depending on the outcome of his case, Bridges likely will face a stiff suspension from the NBA, similar to the 24-game punishment the league handed former Hornet Jeff Taylor in 2014 following his guilty plea on domestic violence charges.
What could happen at the hearing
After Bridges’ arrest, his accuser went on social media to share photos of her injuries and what appeared to be a copy of her medical report.
The report described an “Adult victim of physical abuse by male partner” who had suffered “assault by strangulation; brain concussion; closed fracture of nasal bone; contusion of rib; multiple bruises; strain of neck muscle.”
So far none of that has appeared in court.
Under California law, a preliminary hearing will provide the first glimpse of the prosecution’s case against Bridges. The government must prove to a judge there is “probable cause” that a crime has been committed and that prosecutors have enough evidence to bring Bridges to trial.
Probable cause is a much lower standard of proof than “beyond a reasonable doubt,” which is required during a criminal trial when jurors are deliberating a verdict.
During a preliminary hearing, prosecutors can call witnesses and provide other evidence, which Bridges’ lawyers can challenge. The judge then decides if the case is thrown out or can move forward.
For now, it continues to languish.
In a separate legal matter, Hornets’ guard James Bouknight was arrested Sunday and charged with driving while impaired. An Observer records check revealed that the player faces a number of driving offenses in Mecklenburg and Cabarrus counties.
Roderick Boone, the Observer’s NBA reporter, contributed.
This story was originally published October 17, 2022 at 8:52 PM.
