49ers Bruce Miller pleads no contest

Miller must attend domestic-violence counseling course

49ers fullback Bruce Miller has pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor

By Robert Salonga

rsalonga@mercurynews.com

SANTA CLARA — San Francisco 49ers fullback Bruce Miller has pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor domestic-violence charge and will undergo court-ordered counseling, stemming from a March clash with his then-fiancee at a Santa Clara shopping plaza, authorities said.

Miller, 27, entered the plea Tuesday, which results in a conviction of misdemeanor disturbing the peace that was revised from a vandalism charge filed in early May. The case was handled in a domestic-violence court because of the intimate relationship between the people involved.

Because he has no prior criminal history and there was no recorded physical injury, Miller will be ordered to attend a 16-week domestic-violence counseling course. If he successfully completes the program, his probation will be lifted and he will not serve any additional jail time, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.

Additionally, a protective order remains in effect for the victim, with whom Miller is no longer engaged.

“With domestic-violence situations, our office takes them very seriously, knowing they can escalate quite quickly,” Deputy district attorney Tyrone Wilson said. “We wanted to make sure the disposition we crafted was one that considered his lack of criminal history and how he took early responsibility. The conflict counseling will ensure he has better tools to deal with this in the future.” Trent Baalke, general manager of the 49ers, released a statement reacting to Tuesday’s conviction.

“The 49ers organization is aware of today’s proceedings involving Bruce Miller,” Baalke said. “Bruce knows what we expect of him as a member of this team and he has committed to taking the necessary steps to grow from this experience.” Miller could still face league discipline as his case remains under review, according to a league source.

His attorney could not be immediately reached for comment. It remains unknown if he’ll be cleared to join this week’s end of organized team activities, which are voluntary. Next week marks the 49ers’ only mandatory minicamp before training camp, which is tentatively set to start July 31.

According to Santa Clara police, Miller was arguing with his fiancee in a parking garage at the Rivermark Village off Montague Expressway and Lick Mill Boulevard the night of March 5. At one point, Miller is said to have grabbed the woman’s cellphone and destroyed it by throwing it against a wall.

Investigators could not corroborate a separate allegation that the 6-foot-2, 255pound Miller pushed her to the ground — in part because she later denied any physical contact occurred. A witness to the encounter lent her phone to the woman to call police.

Miller was arrested just before midnight after police were called to 2700 Mission College Blvd., the address of the Santa Clara Marriott about 2 miles away, and not far from Levi’s Stadium, where the 49ers play their home games. Staff writer Cam Inman contributed to this story. Contact Robert Salonga at 408-920-5002. Follow him at Twitter.com/robertsalonga.