‘Midnight Rider’ director, producer want to drop charges from their criminal case.
According to reports, Midnight Rider‘s director and producer are still trying to escape their criminal charges for the accident that killed camera assistant Sarah Jones.
Read more: ‘Midnight Rider’ Reaches Settlement in Sarah Jones Death Suit
Randall Miller and Jody Savin today asked a Georgia court to dismiss them and their business entities from a cross-claim by CSX, whose remaining involvement in the ongoing civil suit filed by Jones’ family has kept the filmmakers tethered to the wrongful death case. [via]
Read more: Midnight Rider: Video Shows Seconds Before Sarah Jones Was Killed
CSX accused Miller, Savin, Unclaimed Freight Production, and Film Allman, LLC in September of intentional trespassing leading up to the February 20 death of Sarah Jones. Jones died and several other crew members were injured when a freight train collided into a hospital bed and equipment that the Midnight Rider crew had placed on CSX-owned tracks.
Read more: Midnight Rider: Federal Investigation Reveals Horrifying Details
Ultimately, the Director and producer of Midnight Rider are arguing that the criminal trespass charges will not be fair.
They’re also concerned that having to answer to the CSX cross-claim in court as part of the wrongful death civil suit will unfairly prejudice a jury that, in Georgia, could assign fault to any party or non-parties deemed responsible in Jones’ death. And with a parallel criminal case carrying a potential 10 years in prison to contend with, the filmmakers say the ongoing CSX claim unfairly jeopardizes their constitutional rights. [via]
Currently, Miller and Savin, along with unit production manager/executive producer Jay Sedrish and 1st assistant director Hilary Schwartz, each face criminal charges of involuntary manslaughter and criminal trespass in a separate criminal case set for trial in March.
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