Diversion hearing set in case with man arrested with guns at local Trump rally
A diversion termination hearing has been scheduled for Aug. 6 for Vem Miller, the man accused of carrying a loaded firearm without a permit to a Donald Trump campaign rally in Coachella in October 2024.
According to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, Miller’s case had been scheduled for a diversion dismissal hearing Thursday July 30, which would have resulted in the charges being dismissed if he successfully completed all of the terms of his diversion program.
However, prosecutors said Miller appeared to have not completed one of the required conditions of the program—a four-hour life skills class.
As a result, the court continued the case and scheduled a diversion termination hearing for Aug. 6.
The District Attorney’s Office said that if Miller completes the outstanding requirement before the hearing, the diversion case can still be dismissed. If he has not completed the requirement, the court could terminate his diversion, allowing the underlying criminal proceedings to resume.
Miller was charged after authorities alleged he brought a loaded firearm without a permit to a Donald Trump rally held in Coachella in October 2024.
In a news conference the day after the arrest, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said deputies may have prevented a third assassination attempt on Trump.
“As far as I’m concerned, a minimum of 25,000 people passed deputies with legitimate identification and didn’t have guns,” Bianco said in Oct. 2024. “I probably did have deputies that prevented the third assassination attempt. I truly do believe that we prevented another assassination attempt.”
The sheriff later appeared to walk back that statement, acknowledging in a Los Angeles Times interview that Miller “probably wasn’t there to hurt former President Trump.”
Miller has previously disputed the allegations and maintained that he did not intend to harm the former president.
The Aug. 6 hearing is expected to determine whether Miller remains eligible for dismissal under the diversion program or whether the criminal case will move forward.
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