Life Sentence Upheld in ’98 Fatal Beating of Teen
The state Supreme Court upheld the murder conviction and life sentence imposed on a school bully who killed a 13-year-old classmate with a blow to the back of the head in 1998.
In a unanimous ruling, the state’s highest court rejected defense arguments that the jury that convicted Jonathan Miller in 1999 may have been prejudiced by exposure to news coverage of the Columbine High School massacre just weeks before trial.
In a written opinion, Justice Leah Sears said a lower court did not violate Miller’s right to a fair trial when it denied defense lawyers’ request for a change of venue.
Miller, now 19, was charged as a juvenile with aggravated battery and assault after punching Josh Belluardo after the boys got off their school bus in a suburb north of Atlanta.
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