Domestic violence hearing for Hornets free agent Miles Bridges delayed for fifth time

The domestic violence case for Charlotte Hornets free agent Miles Bridges continued its crawl through the California courts on Friday, with a required procedural hearing delayed for the fifth time.

The hearing — designed for the judge and lawyers to schedule Bridges’ preliminary hearing in Los Angeles County Superior Court — was first set for Aug. 19. It’s now been carried over until Oct. 12, according to the office of District Attorney George Gascon, which is prosecuting the case.

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.”

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, Bridges faces up to almost 12 years in prison.

The case has remained stagnant ever since, further clouding the player’s status with the team as well as the upcoming NBA season, which starts Oct. 19.

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 will have to 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.

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 so-called “prelim,” prosecutors can call witnesses and provide other evidence, which Bridges’ lawyers can challenge. The judge then decides if the case either moves forward or is thrown out.

First things first, however. That hearing still needs a date.

Observer NBA writer Roderick Boone contributed to this story.

This story was originally published October 7, 2022 at 4:56 PM with the headline "Domestic violence hearing for Hornets free agent Miles Bridges delayed for fifth time."

Michael Gordon

The Charlotte Observer

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Michael Gordon has been the Observer’s legal affairs writer since 2013. He has been an editor and reporter at the paper since 1992, occasionally writing about schools, religion, politics and sports. He spent two summers as “Bikin Mike,” filing stories as he pedaled across the Carolinas.