Hearing in Miles Bridges’ domestic-violence case delayed again. Will he rejoin Hornets?

The wheels of justice in the felony domestic-abuse case of Miles Bridges continue to turn at the speed of the Four Corners.

For the fourth time on Thursday, a routine hearing for the Charlotte Hornets’ restricted free agent scheduled for Los Angeles County Superior Court never took place. Instead, it was moved to Oct. 7, according to the clerk of court’s office at the Airport Courthouse, where Bridges’ matter is being heard.

Thursday’s hearing had one purpose: to schedule a key court session known as a preliminary hearing, in which prosecutors must convince a judge they have enough evidence to take Bridges to trial.

For now, the continued delays further entangle Bridges’ legal problems with the team’s preparations for the upcoming season.

The Hornets open their preseason schedule Sunday in Boston against the Celtics. Although Bridges won’t be around, at least one of his teammates is holding onto the possibility of Bridges rejoining the team at some point.

“Definitely miss him,” All-Star guard LaMelo Ball said Monday during the team’s media day. “I’m talking to him day (by) day, just seeing what it is. But other than that, I haven’t heard too much of anything.

“I’m hoping we get him. I’m not really trying to throw any negative energy. Just keep it positive.”

Why the Thursday hearing was rescheduled remains unclear. The office of Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón did not immediately respond to an email from The Charlotte Observer on Friday seeking an explanation.

Thus Bridges, the Hornets’ leading scorer last season but now a restricted free agent who’s not practicing with the team, remains in limbo on two coasts.

Domestic violence charge

The former Michigan State player was arrested on June 29 in Los Angeles and charged with beating his girlfriend two days before in front of their two children. Police described the incident as “Intimate Partner Violence with Injury.”

On July 20, Bridges pleaded not guilty to three felony charges: injuring a child’s parent; and two counts of child abuse under circumstances or conditions likely to cause great bodily injury or death.

If convicted of all three, Bridges faces up to almost 12 years in prison.

The Observer does not typically identify possible victims of domestic violence.

After Bridges’ arrest, his accuser went on social media to share photos of her injuries and what appeared to be a copy of her medical report.

The report described an “Adult victim of physical abuse by male partner” who had suffered “assault by strangulation; brain concussion; closed fracture of nasal bone; contusion of rib; multiple bruises; strain of neck muscle.”

So far none of that has appeared in court. Under California law, a preliminary hearing should provide the first glimpse of the prosecution’s case against Bridges. The government must prove to a judge there is “probable cause” that a crime has been committed and that prosecutors have enough evidence to bring Bridges to trial.

Probable cause is a much lower standard of proof than “beyond reasonable doubt,” which is required during a criminal trial when jurors are deliberating a verdict.

During a so-called “prelim,” prosecutors can call witnesses and provide other evidence, which Bridges’ lawyers can challenge. The judge then decides if the case either moves forward or is thrown out.

Restricted free agent

Bridges, the 12th overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft, finds himself in significant legal jeopardy as his career teeters on the cusp of stardom and the 2022-23 season prepares to tip off.

He became a restricted free agent in July when the Hornets tendered him a $7.9 million qualifying offer. That gives the team the right to match any deal he receives on the free-agent market, which, prior to his legal problems, was expected by many to reach $25 million a year or more.

The Hornets’ qualifying offer still stands because the deadline to rescind it passed on July 13, meaning Bridges’ representatives and the team both must agree to pull it off the table.

If Bridges signs the qualifying offer, he would become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Depending on the outcome of his case, Bridges likely will face a stiff suspension from the NBA similar to the 24-game punishment the league handed former Hornet Jeff Taylor in 2014 following his guilty plea on domestic violence charges.