Molly Miller
Molly Miller is a playwright and screenwriter born and raised in Washington State. She is a graduate of The University of Chicago (BA Political Science) and the University of Southern California (MFA Screenwriting). Molly began her career as an actor in Chicago, improvising and writing sketch at The Annoyance Theatre, The Second City, and The iO Theatre. While performing, Molly wrote over a dozen plays and musicals including the long running comedy, Double Booked and the critically acclaimed musical Tribulation. Now a resident of Los Angeles, Molly is a staff writer on an upcoming drama for Spectrum TV/BET and her comedy pilot, BETTER HOMES & BUNKERS, is currently in development at Tornante. In addition to her work as a screenwriter Molly explores her passion for criminal justice as a reporter for crimestory.com and a writer for the podcast JURY DUTY: THE TRIAL OF ROBERT DURST. She is the recipient of the USC Annenberg Fellowship, the John Wells Summer Mentorship, the Edward Small Writing Award, the UChicago Metcalf Fellowship, and the UChicago Arts Grant.
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Wobble Wobble
During the first few days of this Thanksgiving week, the Crime Story Podcast is taking a look back at some of the themes that have emerged in the posts at CrimeStory.com. Today our theme is “wobblers.”
In an editorial that we posted on October 8, Molly Miller and I wrote:
“Our dedication to examining systemic inequities in the criminal justice system drew us to defendants, their defenders, and their collective Sisyphean struggle against the power and the practice of powerful prosecutors. We were prepared — by the works of Emily Bazelon, James Forman, Jr., and Paul Butler among others —...
Paint it Black: Drakeo the Ruler, Mick Jagger and “Gang Conspiracy” (Drakeo 2)
This article contains a summary of Darrell Caldwell aka Drakeo the Ruler's criminal case. For a thorough and moving examination of past proceedings we recommend Jeff Weiss' piece on The Fader. On Monday, we published a piece by Kary Antholis examining the potential political implications of Caldwell's case.
The Rolling Stones are a criminal street gang.
At least they could be considered a criminal street gang under California’s modern gang legislation if it were applied to the band’s behavior in the ‘60s and ‘70s.
I don’t mean to offend the fans of almighty dad rock or demonize the band that recorded the...
Tiny Evil, Rap and Gang Conspiracy
Editor's note: Later this week, the third trial of rapper Drakeo the Ruler on charges of profiting off of a gang conspiracy (California Penal Code § 182.5) begins in Compton. CRIME STORY will be covering that trial, as the nature of this law and its use by California Prosecutors raise significant Constitutional and Due Process questions. In conjunction with that coverage, we will also be publishing essays about the treatment of rap lyrics and culture by law enforcement in LA.
Molly Miller's story below tells the story of the prosecution of 19 year old rapper, Ron Simmons aka Tiny...
$7000 of Chips Vanished
The house always wins.
Jian Qiao Chen had already lost $3,000 playing Baccarat. He was about to lose even more. But not to a card game.
Chen was gambling at the Commerce Casino, an establishment that has a church-basement vibe, complete with matted floral carpeting and rickety, red-cushioned chairs. Guests expecting the glitz of the Vegas strip might describe it as “seedy,” but for serious players, it’s a hub of competition. According to their website, the Commerce Casino is California’s # 1 venue for games of skill. That includes draw poker, blackjack, Texas Hold’em, and Baccarat. No slot machines. The dings...
A Joking Matter?
I submit to you a list of professions where humorous banter is an asset: accountant, car salesman, realtor, dentist, personal trainer, construction worker, civil engineer, dog trainer, photographer, microbiologist, professor, chef, waitress, actor, electrician, plumber, marketing director, novelist, tour guide, magician, landscaper, receptionist, librarian, violinist, glass-blower, zoologist, and garbage man.
I submit to you a list of professions in which humorous banter is a liability: funeral home director, child oncologist, and criminal courts judge.
It’s a Thursday morning and I’m seated in the gallery behind a nervous family of three: a husband and wife in their fifties with their teenager...
I Hate Men
I fucking hate men.
Jogging down the cement steps of the courthouse stairwell, all eleven floors, it’s all I can think. I’m blistering with rage.
This is the trial of Stephen Houk, a registered sex offender who is accused of abusing his spouse, Amey, and kidnapping their young children in the couple’s motorhome as he fled the police after Amey called the cops. Houk drove four hours in the RV from LA County to Bakersfield with cops on his heels. He told Amey over the phone “this is a hostage situation with babies involved and a loaded fucking gun.” The chase...
