During his virtual court hearing, Randall Miller insists that he was not totally clear with his probation rules, and expresses his remorse to the family of late camera assistant Sarah Jones.

• Feb 18, 2021

AceShowbiz - Filmmaker Randall Miller won't be heading back to jail, despite violating the conditions of his probation for the 2014 death of camera assistant on the set of Allman Brothers biopic "Midnight Rider".

The director served a year behind bars after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter over the death of Sarah Jones and was released on probation in mid-2016 on the understanding he was "prohibited from serving as director, first assistant director or supervisor with responsibility for safety in any film production".

He was arrested last year (20) after law enforcement authorities in Georgia discovered Miller oversaw the film "Higher Grounds", which was shot in Serbia, Colombia and the U.K.

Miller maintained he didn't realise he was violating his probation.

Speaking on video from his home in California on Wednesday (February 17), Miller told the court, "I was allowed to continue to work in the film business as long as I worked in a role that did not involve safety. It was important to me that I had no role in safety if I was to do any movie at all."

The judge accepted that Miller wasn't totally clear with the rules surrounding his probation, and made sure he knew what he could and couldn't do professionally at the end of the five-hour hearing.

"You are not to act as a director, period, first assistant director, period, or in any other capacity in the film industry where you are responsible for safety," Judge Anthony L. Harrison reiterated, making sure Miller understood his sentence.

"I'm really sorry I misunderstood it," Miller told the judge, citing his own ignorance and revealing his lawyers had confirmed his interpretation of the probation order.

Miller also became emotional towards the end of his latest day in court as he apologised to the family of Jones, who was struck by a train and killed whole shooting B-role for "Midnight Rider".

"I am so sorry to you," he said. "I think about it every day, and not a moment goes by that I don't think about what happened that day and wish I could change it. All I want to do is bring good things into the world, and make good movies that have something important to say."

Jones' father, who was among the people who pressed Georgia authorities to seek action after learning Miller was back behind the camera, attended the hearing in person.