JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The estranged wife of former Jaguars defensive tackle Roy Miller pleaded with a judge Wednesday to reopen her domestic battery case against him so she could tell her side of the story.
After the hearing, Judge Michelle Kalil denied Nicole Miller's motion, allowing her decision to send Miller into a diversion program to stand.
Some legal experts said it was unusual that Miller was put into a diversion plan in a domestic battery case, but the state noted that diversion is not unusual for first-time offenders.
Miller pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor battery, and as part of a plea deal, agreed to the diversion program, which included 50 hours of community service, a $150 fee and weekly counseling. Miller has already completed 55 hours of community service, according to his attorney.
He also completed a Parent Family Stabilization program on March 29.
Nicole Miller told News4Jax after the hearing that she didn't want her husband to go to jail, but she wanted him to apologize.
Roy Miller's attorney, Brian Coughlin, released a statement Wednesday:
"Mr. Miller is pleased to be one step closer to closure of this matter. He looks forward to completing his obligation and the charge being dismissed. While he is puzzled by some of the decision making of Mrs. Miller and her counsel, he believes it best for his family that he not comment further."
According to court records, the Millers will be back in Duval County court because they are getting a divorce. The Millers have four children together.
In a motion filed earlier this month, Nicole Miller described details of the November 2017 incident that left her with a cut on her face and scratches on her neck.
She said Roy Miller was drunk the night of the incident and that she tried to walk away after he became “verbally aggressive."
"I tried to walk away, but not before he grabbed me from behind threw me on the bed. I felt helpless and terrified as my husband, as he tackled me as if I were a 200-pound (inaudible) football player," Nicole Miller said in court Wednesday.
In a previous statement, she said her shirt was torn off and a braid was “completely ripped from my scalp during the attack.” She said she believes her 10-year-old daughter's cries were the only reason Roy Miller stopped attacking her.
According to Roy Miller's arrest report, Nicole Miller suffered an abrasion on her face and a scratch on the back of her neck.
Nicole Miller had petitioned the court to reopen the case, because she said she was not given a chance to share her prepared statement with the court before the deal was reached.
"I think it (is) important for victims to be able to share with the court what their personal experience has been with domestic violence," said Nicole Miller's attorney, Nicholas Alexander. "It was her impression that she was not given an opportunity to speak."
Roy Miller, who played for the Jaguars from 2013-2016, was playing for the Kansas City Chiefs last season but was released after the domestic battery arrest.