The YSL trial in Georgia has taken yet another wild turn, with a Fulton County deputy being arrested in connection to a smuggling incident.
WSB-TV reported that Akeiba Stanley was arrested and taken into custody on Friday (June 2) after she allegedly tried to smuggle things from a relative of defendant Christian Eppinger, as well as communicating with him on an illegally obtained cell phone and through Instagram.
AD LOADING...
Stanley was charged with “reckless conduct, violation of oath of office, conspiracy to commit a felony and hindering apprehension or punishment of a criminal,” according to the outlet.
It is unclear when Stanley will be arraigned, or whether she had a prior relationship with the Eppinger or any other defendant in the YSL trial.
At the center of the infamous YSL trial is rapper Young Thug, who currently faces eight charges in the YSL case, including conspiracy to violate the RICO Act and two counts of participation in criminal street gang activity, along with multiple drug and weapons offenses.
As of this writing, jury selection in the trial has gone on for more than five months, and not a single juror has been selected yet in the case.
AD LOADING...
Attorney Tom Church told Fox 5 Atlanta that he’s never seen such a breakdown of justice in all his years practicing law.
“It’s descending into chaos, and every day seems to bring a new level of disorder,” he told the outlet. “Clearly, there’s been a breakdown here. We have attorneys getting arrested during these proceedings, having their computers seized. We have the judge who’s holding lawyers left and right in contempt.”
AD LOADING...
In April, an attorney was arrested for allegedly bringing prescription drugs to court and assaulting an officer.
Anastasios Manettas, who is representing YSL defendant Miles Farley, attempted to enter the courtroom and upon doing a routine search of his bag around 10 a.m., officers discovered a bottle of prescription medication and immediately arrested him, per The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
AD LOADING...
As officers moved in, Manettas allegedly tossed his phone to another attorney so that it wouldn’t be searched, but the phone missed and hit an officer.
As a result, the attorney was charged with simple battery on a law enforcement officer, possession of pills not in their original container, obstruction and disrupting court proceedings.
AD LOADING...
Last month, Young Thug was rushed to the hospital during the trial for what his lawyers called a “medical emergency.”
Proceedings were halted on May 11 as Thugga (real name Jeffrey Williams) was rushed to a nearby hospital. “I know he’s had some difficulty of a similar sort at the Cobb County Jail a few months ago, and so I’m obviously concerned about his wellbeing,” his attorney, Keith Adams, told judge Ural Glanville.
AD LOADING...
“Mr. Williams is sleep deprived, mandated to wake up on court days between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. and not having more than five hours of sleep per night. By the end of the week, Mr. Williams is fighting to pay attention to the goings on in his case.”
Due to medical privacy laws, details about Young Thug’s illness were not released to the public. However, Judge Glanville did grant Adams permission to visit his client in the hospital.
Prior to this latest incident, the “Stoner” rapper’s lawyers petitioned the courts to let him out on bond, arguing that the conditions in the prison were less-than-ideal. Their petition was denied.
But at 5:45 p.m. ET on May 11, Young Thug’s lawyers released a statement claiming that their client was now “fine” and ready to proceed with the trial.
AD LOADING...
“Jeffery was not feeling well earlier, and the sheriff’s office had him seen by medical personnel to ensure that he was okay,” Adams told Vulture in a statement. “We expect to be back in court tomorrow as we continue to fight these charges and work toward getting him home.”
