UNITED STATES - DECEMBER 26: Prescription drugs are pictured in Washington, D.C., on Monday, December 26, 2022. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
An attorney defending one of the YSL defendants was arrested in court Thursday morning, continuing a chaotic couple of days for the RICO proceedings–which are still in the jury selection process.
Criminal defense attorney Anastasios Manettas was reportedly arrested after he tried to enter an Atlanta courtroom with his prescription drugs on his person and without the prescription container.
Manettas, a legal representative for Young Slime Life member Miles Farley, was reportedly handcuffed and forced to undergo a security search.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Sheriff Patrick Labat claims Manettas threw his phone at him. However, Attorney Suri Chadha Jimenez says the phone accidentally hit the sheriff after Manettas tossed it at a colleague during detainment.
Still, the entire incident resulted in the following charges: simple battery of a law enforcement officer, possession of pills not in their original container, obstruction of justice, and disruption of court proceedings.
Thirteen defendants, including rapper Young Thug, are accused of running his YSL record as a street gang. The initial number of defendants in the gang and racketeering trial was 14, including Miles.
But on Thursday, Chief Judge Ural Glanville announced Farley’s case was “severed”–meaning he’s going to be tried separately.
Manettas’ arrest comes a day after another chaotic scene in court, where at least three people were handcuffed after a verbal altercation broke out inside the courtroom. Those that were placed into handcuffs were seen being exited from the courtroom.
On Thursday, the sheriff’s office confirmed that the scene was started by the discovery of marijuana with defendant Rodalius Ryan.
The trial is entering its fourth month of jury selection, and attorneys predict that the jury selection process could easily continue through the summer.
Manettas had previously told 11Alive about the drawn-out jury selection process:
“It got started pretty quickly, as far as the pre-trial aspects,” Manettas said. “But now this jury selection has now been the longest in Georgia history already, and I don’t know if we’re halfway done or not.”
Manettas added that since January, hundreds of people had been questioned on any medical, financial, or caretaker conflicts.
The judge overseeing the trial similarly said the current hardship phase could last through the summer.
“At that point, the individual phase will begin where each of the 14 defense teams and the state are allowed to ask the jurors who survived the hardship phase anything we want about any of their answers in the questionnaire, which has 258 questions,” Manettas said.
“None have been questioned about the questionnaire or their individual biases, or exposure to the case in the media. It’s only been hardship so far. No one has been individually examined.”
Manettas went on to say that trial-specific questioning could start a month later to work down the jury pool. However, many law experts predict the trial would likely take months and cost millions of dollars.
Meanwhile, at least one defense attorney, Angela D’Williams–who represents Ryan–has filed a motion seeking to withdraw from the case, according to 11 Alive. D’Williams cites the trial’s length and the work required for attorneys working under public defender contracts.
