Randall Miller, the “Midnight Rider” director serving probation for his role in the 2014 death of camera assistant Sarah Jones, will be summoned to court for allegedly violating his probation by directing a new film last year, Variety reported.
As part of a 2015 plea deal in Georgia, Miller pleaded guilty to criminal trespassing and involuntary manslaughter in connection to Jones’ death. She was killed and several others injured when a train plowed through a “Midnight Rider” set that was set up on a Georgia train trestle.
He was released after serving a year in prison and is now subject to a 10-year probation in which he is “prohibited from serving as director, first assistant director or supervisor with responsibility for safety in any film production.”
Miller’s lawyers understood that to mean that Miller was allowed to shoot his latest film, “Higher Grounds,” in Serbia, Colombia, and the UK last year, as long as there was someone else on set responsible for safety. The film’s credits list first assistant director Jason Allen as “associate producer (in charge of safety).”
But Georgia authorities disagree with that understanding and say that Miller working as a director violated his probation.
Variety reported Thursday that the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, which has power to issue an arrest warrant, is instead deferring to a judge who will set a date for Miller to appear in court, which could eliminate the need for an arrest.
If the judge finds that Miller violated his probation, he could face sanctions or further restrictions to his probation terms.
The Georgia community supervision department and Miller’s attorney did not reply to multiple requests for comment.
This comes after the district attorney’s office in Wayne County told Deadline last week that it was seeking an arrest warrant for Miller.
“Higher Grounds” stars Freddie Fox (“The Crown”), Kate Nash (“Glow”), and Saoirse-Monica Jackson (“Derry Girls”) in a story about a woman, struggling to keep her coffee shop in business, who taps her employees to compete in the World Barista Championships. Miller, who produces with wife Jody Savin, wrote the screenplay with David Rollins, who directed the documentary “Trial of Midnight Rider: Railroaded in the Deep South.” Executive producers are Jay Karandikar, Savin Karandikar, Zak Kristofek, and Michael Melroy Smith.
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