Porn Valley- Ron Miller is now Brian Surewood’s attorney. I spoke to Miller Saturday morning to get an update on Surewood’s case. Surewood has been in jail since October 2007 stemming from a “road rage” automobile accident that killed a child in Reseda.
“He and his family are really devastated with regard to the child that was killed in this accident,” says Miller.
“The mother who was so gravely injured lost her leg. Everyone involved in this case has a high degree of sympathy for the victims.”
“Brian’s been around for a long time and I’ve known Brian since I’ve been in the adult industry,” continues Miller who doubles as a performer.
“Those of us who worked with Brian in the industry know that Brian was just a great guy to hang out with when you were on set. He just made the day go a little bit faster and Brian has always been an easy going guy and he’s going through a really tough time.”
According to Miller, Surewood’s current living conditions are “deplorable.”
“He’s in a high security area of the Los Angeles County men’s jail. This jail is probably 40 years old. The living conditions are absolutely horrid. And any outreaches to Brian would mean an awful lot to him and would mean a bright spot in his day.”
More information can be found on www.lasd.org regarding contacting Surewood.
Miller says Surewood in 14 months, hasn’t seen the light of day other than getting on a bus to go to court and back. Regarding Surewood’s case, Miller says this could really happen to almost anyone. Right now Surewood is facing life in prison.
“If you read all the police reports and the thousands of pages of discovery in this case, Brian and the co-defendant never knew each other. The co-defendant is 19 years old. And they’re both driving down Sherman Way in the mid afternoon. Something happened. Somebody cut somebody off, allegedly.
“And within a period of less than two minutes, the other vehicle goes out of control and hits the vehicle that the mother is getting into with her children. That impact caused carnage. If you look at the police report you see how a child is carried on a hood of a car and careened across the street and thrown into a tree. I don’t think anyone who knows Brian would think he’s capable of any type of rage.”
“I certainly don’t see it.”
Miller says the allegation is that Surewood stepped on his bakes which caused the car that was speeding behind him to swerve.
“And that’s the vehicle that hit everyone.”
Miller thinks the same thing could happen to anyone.
“Did you cut somebody off and have them pissed off at you and done it unintentionally?” he asks.
“That’s what the people of the state of California have charged as murder, 15 years to life.”
Miller says there are charges like vehicular manslaughter, reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident also involved.
“At this juncture what we’re doing is trying to get a settlement to this case that is reasonable,” Miller reports.
“Whether we accomplish that or not is far too early for me to comment on.”
The next day in court is January 20th. Miller says the possibilities are everything from resolving the case on that date to setting the case for trial.
I asked Miller if the prosecution was still pursuing the case aggressively to make an example of Surewood. Miller replied that he can’t say too much about the prosecutor’s position.
“I will say that the deputy D.A. assigned to this case is a very qualified and competent trial attorney,” Miller goes on to say.
“He shares my feelings and other counsels’ feelings that there’s just not a good end to this no matter what. Whether Brian were to go to jail for life or whether Brian were to be acquitted of all charges, or whether we were to negotiate a settlement of this case. He’s a very compassionate man, and I believe he’s negotiating in good faith.
“He doesn’t have an agenda to nail Brian to the wall or make an example out of him.”
But it’s difficult to come to a just resolve to all of this,” Miller adds.
I was wondering if Surewood’s porn connection has become an issue in this case.
“It’s not been discussed,” says Miller.
“It hasn’t been discussed in any of our negotiations. My legal opinion is that it’s just not relevant. Only relevant evidence can be admitted.”
But I hasten to point out to Miller that Crystal Gunns’ porn connections weren’t relevant, yet they became a big issue with the Vineland, NJ school district from which she recently resigned.
“The only way Brian’s connection to porn would come into this case is if a juror recognizes him, which makes it, again, a consideration I’d have to evaluate. When I voir dire the jury, do I ask the jury if they’ve ever seen the defendant in any form of media which would peak their curiosity?”
“Then it could go either way where a prospective juror could hate porn or be a fan of it.”
Miller says he’s run into fans that know more about the business than he does.
“They know more about the girls than I do. As porn performers that’s something we always talk about. How do they keep track of this? But most of those people except the fanatics will tell all of their straight fans that they’re anti-porn. It’s something they don’t want to be scorned for. They leave it up to us to be scorned for.”
According to Miller Surewood’s folks are older and retired and have been footing the bill.
“I know that there’s been some controversy about the purported efforts of one person to raise money for Brian and where that money went,” says Miller.
“But I choose not to be involved with that.”
Yet Miller brings up the fact that every time there’s an attempt in the industry to raise money for another, the efforts go awry.
“That totally escapes me,” Miller comments.
“People want to run out and raise money for who’s ever sick or in trouble or is dying, you name it. But it never seems to work. I don’t understand the people in our business, quite frankly. For one reason or another it just doesn’t work. The recent disaster was Ron Sullivan.”
And where that situation stands, Miller can’t tell you although he was brought in to mediate the dispute between The Sullivans and Amber Lynn. To date, it remains at an impasse.
“Somehow I hope this all gets worked out,” Miller says, noting that he was never involved in the planning of tha We Are the World production.
“In the beginning I’m sure everyone had the best intentions in the world.”
“Back to Brian, would it be nice to raise some money so that there would be some extra things Brian could have while he’s in custody? You bet. Could the defense use more money? You bet.”
Asked about those miserable living conditions he referred to earlier, Miller says Surewood is locked in a cell around the clock and doesn’t see the outside world.
“It’s not like general population,” states Miller.
“He’s surrounded by people who have hepatitis, HIV, full blown AIDS- most of the people housed in this high security unit are career criminals and violent criminals.”
“The inmates he’s surrounded by have attempted to extort money from him and money from his family.”
In the visits he’s had with Surewood, Miller says Brian is at all times handcuffed.
“He gets to shower maybe once a week if he’s lucky.”
I tell Miller this is appalling.
“Welcome to the modern justice system,” Miller replies.
“The situation in California is there are 170,000 people incarcerated in the state prison system which is not capable of handling more than 100,000. The federal government has mandated that 55,000 prisoners must be released from the state of California.
“If a ballot measure is introduced to increase the penalty for a crime, it virtually always passes. Any ballot measure to provide new jail facilities at tax payer expense is defeated. What are you going to do?”
Miller says the problem in Surewood’s case is that someone who goes out with a shotgun and cold bloodedly takes three or four lives is classified exactly the same way as Surewood is.
“This is really scary law,” says Miller.
My other reason for contacting Miller was the Roger Avary case and the fact that he’s being charged with vehicular manslaughter in a DUI and has yet has to see the inside of a jail cell.
“It’s an interesting world we live in,” comments Miller. “Here is the inequity. Mr. Avary, while driving under the influence knew he was going to drive somewhere. He at least had some basis to form an opinion that he might hurt or kill someone. With vehicular manslaughter, his exposure in California is 2, 4 or 6 years. Or in unusual circumstances the court could grant probation.”
Yet Surewood faces life. Because at the time of his accident there had been several cases of road rage that had been reported in the media and prompted the mayor of Los Angeles to declare open war on those perpetrators.
“The case that Brian’s involved in, the good mayor of the city of Los Angeles did what good politicians do,” says Miller.
“He stood up in front of a bunch of microphones and said we’re going to put these people away for life. The primary message is don’t let people piss you off on the road- you may end up killing or hurting somebody and you may well end up in jail. You just don’t know.”
Another message in all this, continues Miller, is that one of the industry’s own is in jail.
“He was a top notch performer. He performed in the original Pirates. Where are all of the companies- the big guys- the Vivids, the Hustlers, the Wickeds, the Digital Playgrounds? Would it kill them to cut a check for a $1,000? Send it to Brian’s parents.”
I asked Miller where Brick Majors, Surewood’s brother, was in all of this. Majors, a former performer, owns a strip club in the Valley and seems to be doing well, financially.
“As his mother describes it, Brick hated Brian before he was born,” says Miller.
“There’s never been a good relationship from Day One. Out of courtesy I gave Brick a call. I’ve never had a bad experience with him. His response was you ought to cut a deal and do 10 years, accept it and be done with it. But their problems go back to when Brian was born. So there’s nothing forthcoming there. No form of support whatsoever.”
“But I don’t know the issues that go back almost 45 years that brought two brothers to where they’re at,” adds Miller.