Man arrested outside Trump rally in Coachella pleads not guilty months after suing sheriff
A man arrested outside a Donald Trump rally in Coachella pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor gun charges Thursday, months after suing the Riverside County Sheriff over alleged violations of his constitutional rights.
Vem Miller was not present during his Thursday morning arraignment in Riverside County Superior Court, but his attorney entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf. His next court date is a pre-trial hearing scheduled for March 11.
No federal charges have been filed in the case and the U.S. Secret Services assessed Trump was not in any danger at the event, according to a joint statement released by the Secret Service, FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California.
Meanwhile, Sheriff Chad Bianco has said he believes his agency thwarted an assassination attempt at the Oct. 12 rally.
The arrest followed at least two other incidents earlier last year in which federal officials allege there was an assassination attempt on Trump, including the Pennsylvania rally where he was struck by gunfire, with a bullet grazing his ear and two other people left critically injured. The 20-year-old shooter was killed by snipers after firing eight rounds, authorities said.
Miller, who has described himself as a journalist and longtime Trump supporter, has denied the charges. He has said he possessed the firearms legally and disclosed them to officers he spoke with at the rally checkpoint.
The lawsuit he filed three days after his arrest, on Oct. 15, names the County of Riverside and Bianco as defendants, alleging the search of his vehicle and arrest violated his First and Fourth Amendment Constitutional rights to privacy and freedom from unlawful searches and seizures. In court filings, he accuses local law enforcement in Riverside of violating his civil rights "for the purpose of promoting and engaging in a meritless and gratuitous sensational story."
Miller also accuses Bianco, an outspoken Trump supporter, of mischaracterizing the incident to the general public.
"Immediately after Miller's arrest, Defendant Bianco did not miss an opportunity to fabricate allegations against Miller, going on numerous news outlets, claiming to have thwarted a third assassination attempt against Presidential Candidate Donald J. Trump," the lawsuit reads. "It became clear that Bianco, intentionally, maliciously and with a blatant disregard for the truth, wanted to create a narrative so as to be viewed as a "heroic" Sheriff who saved Presidential candidate Trump from a third assassination attempt."
A day after it was filed, the Riverside County Sheriff released a statement declining to comment on the litigation.
"We acknowledge the lawsuit filed against the Riverside County Sheriff's Office and take such matters seriously. However, as it is pending litigation, we cannot comment on the specifics at this time," the statement reads. "We are committed to transparency and will cooperate fully with the legal process."
When Miller was arrested in October, Bianco told reporters the 49-year-old Las Vegas resident was found with an "obviously fake license plate" that led deputies to investigate further. He said they found multiple passports and driver's licenses with different names inside Miller's vehicle as well as a shotgun, loaded handgun and high-capacity magazine, which he is accused of possessing illegally.
"The license plate was what we in law enforcement would recognize is one that is homemade and indicative of a group of individuals that claim to be sovereign citizens," Bianco said.
Days after his arrest, Miller told CBS News he has worked as a Trump campaign volunteer in Nevada and he unsuccessfully for state office in Nevada in 2022 as what he described as "a Trump-aligned candidate."
"I've been at over 20-plus events with Trump, some private where, literally, I could, like, reach out and touch the president. I've had conversations with Trump's sons," he said.
