Rapper’s hope lies in court

Gretna, La. â€”  C-Murder, who lost in his latest bid to get his second-degree murder conviction thrown out, is hopeful Louisiana’s Supreme Court will be more favorable to his appeal than the lower courts have been.

“I’m just trying to bring darkness to light the best way I know how,� he said in a phone interview Tuesday night. “I’m hoping everything turns out all right.�

The rapper, whose real name is Corey Miller, was convicted Sept. 30, 2003, in the death of Steve Thomas, 16, at a nightclub in the New Orleans suburb of Harvey. He faces a mandatory life sentence without parole.

In April 2004, State District Judge Martha Sassone ordered a new trial on grounds that prosecutors withheld information on the criminal history of their key witnesses.

Prosecutors appealed the ruling, and earlier this month, two of the three judges on a panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeal ruled that even without the witnesses’ testimony, “there was an abundance of other evidence which fully established Miller’s guilt.�

C-Murder asked for a rehearing before the entire court, but the request was denied Tuesday. He is being held in the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna.

Ron Rakosky, C-Murder’s lawyer, said he would appeal to the state Supreme Court.

C-Murder said he believes other courts may have been swayed by media reports and negative comments made about him.

He recently angered the local sheriff by recording parts of his latest music video and album behind bars.

“I think all of that plays a part, 100%. You’ve got the sheriff on TV saying he wants revenge,� he said. “How can I win when it comes to a decision that determines my life?�

C-Murder’s new album, “The Truest (Expletive) I Ever Heard,� was released last week.