Judge Denies C-Murder Permission to Promote New Album

Judge Martha Sassone of the 24th Judicial District Court in Louisiana on Monday (October 23) denied a request to allow Corey "C-Murder" Miller to grant interviews in support of his upcoming untitled album, citing a gag order she placed on all parties involved in the case back in August. According to a Times-Picayune report, attorneys for Miller, who is on house arrest pending his retrial on murder charges in the 2002 shooting death of 16-year-old Steven Thomas, argued that the rapper needed to promote the album in order to provide for his family, pay his legal fees and fund renovations to his grandmother's home which was damaged last year in Hurricane Katrina. Although Sassone denied the interview request, she ruled that Miller could take promotional pictures for the album, as long as the photo sessions occurred at his residence and only if she was informed ahead of time of the photographer’s name.

Miller, who had his original conviction on the murder charge overturned earlier this year, is also seeking to have his new trial moved to a new venue. His attorney cited excessive pre-trial publicity as the reason for the request. In a separate ruling, Sassone granted Miller permission to play with his children in the backyard of the home to which he is confined on house arrest. He had previously been ordered to stay within the confines of the home.