Hornets Star Charged with Felony Domestic Violence

As reported by TMZ Sports, Charlotte Hornets Forward Miles Bridges Sr., has been arrested for felony domestic violence. Mr. Bridges was later released on a bond for $130,000. This bond is extraordinary for a domestic violence case even if it is classified as a felony. As a former felony prosecutor who handled thousands of domestic violence cases, the $130,000 bond was eye-popping. That is the type of bond you see on sexual assault cases or even some homicide cases. This particular type of charge usually would carry with it a $15,000 to $25,000 bond. California Penal Code 273.5(a) which governs felony domestic violence states as followed:

Any person who willfully inflicts corporal injury resulting in a traumatic condition upon a victim described in subdivision (b) is guilty of a felony, and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for two, three, or four years, or in a county jail for not more than one year, or by a fine of up to six thousand dollars ($6000), or by both that fine and punishment.

One type of victim that this would apply to would be an intimate dating partner. Thus, the alleged victim is very likely a dating partner of Miles Bridges. As reported by TMZ, police were called to the scene, but Mr. Bridges was gone by the time law enforcement arrived on scene. The woman required medical attention. The last sentence is very, very important. That means there were visible injuries. At this time, we do not know what type of visible injuries the alleged victim had. At a minimum, there was bruising but there may has also been bleeding. Based on the high bond, my guess is that there was bleeding and potentially a lot of it.

Where does the case go from here? The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office will make a filing decision as to whether or not formal charges will be filed. Unfortunately, in domestic violence cases, many victims do not want to go forward with charges. They almost become the protector of the abuser. It is a sad reality. The alleged victim is well aware that Mr. Bridges is on the cusp of Free Agency and a huge potential contract. She knows pursuing charges would give a ton of NBA teams pause as to whether or not Mr. Bridges is a worthy investment. She may very well tell the DA’s Office she doesn’t want to move forward with charges. The DA’s Office would then have to evaluate whether they can continue without the victim’s cooperation. Based on the serious nature of the charges, hopefully they can.

Matthew F. Tympanick is the Founder/Principal of Tympanick Law, P.A., located in Sarasota, Florida where he focuses his practice on Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, and Sports Law. He is frequent legal analyst on Law & Crime Trial Network. He has also appeared on television, radio, and podcasts discussing criminal law issues. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts School of Law where he served as a Public Interest Fellow and as a Staff Editor on the UMass Law Review. He was previously a felony prosecutor in Sarasota, Florida. In over five years as an attorney, Attorney Tympanick has tried forty cases and handled thousands more You can follow him on Twitter @TympanickLaw. Arrested or Injured? Don’t Panic…Call Tympanick. www.tympanicklaw.com.