An attorney in Young Thug’s YSL RICO trial has been arrested for allegedly bringing prescription drugs to court and assaulting an officer.
The chaos unfolded on Thursday morning (April 20) as Anastasios Manettas, who is representing YSL defendant Miles Farley, attempted to enter the courtroom, per The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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Upon doing a routine search of his bag around 10 a.m., officers discovered a bottle of prescription medication and immediately arrested him.
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.
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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.
A photo shared on Twitter showed Manettas in handcuffs inside the courthouse.
Anastassios Manettas, an attorney on the YSL trial, was just arrested for having his prescription drugs in his bag at a search at court.
— George Chidi (find me on Mastodon) (@neonflag) April 20, 2023
When he tried to toss his phone to another attorney so they wouldn't be able to search it, he missed and hit a deputy, so they're also charging him with assaulting an officer.
— George Chidi (find me on Mastodon) (@neonflag) April 20, 2023
One of Anastasios’ colleagues just sent me this picture of him in handcuffs. pic.twitter.com/fZgXTKnHsg
— Shaddi Abusaid (@ShaddiAbusaid) April 20, 2023
The arrest comes as Judge Ural Glanville demanded courtroom security be tightened after chaos erupted during a hearing on Wednesday (April 19), which was sparked by YSL defendant Rodalius Ryan (also known as Lil Rod) screaming from behind chamber doors.
According to Law&Crime Network reporter Cathy Russon, Ryan was “escorted out of the courtroom by a bunch of deputies” before being taken to a holding cell, where he began screaming.
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Young Thug was in court at the time, and could be seen in video footage looking confused as the courtroom became increasingly agitated. “Everyone chill,” officers said in court. “Clear the courtroom.”
Other YSL defendants, Christian Eppinger and Coradrius Dorsey, then stood up and demanded officers let Ryan out of the holding cell. “He didn’t do anything wrong!” one of them shouted.
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Eppinger’s attorney Eric Johnson said his client rose to his feet because he’s close friends with Ryan and was concerned for his safety.
“All of a sudden they take Mr. Ryan, the young child — I mean, he’s a kid — they take him to the back, and we can hear him screaming,” Dorsey’s attorney said. “We can hear him in the courtroom yelling for help. And we’re all confused.”
Rodalius Ryan was reportedly injured in a scuffle with a deputy back in January. Defense attorney Angela D’Williams claimed her client was punched in the head and fell on the sidewalk while waiting to be transported from jail to the courthouse.
D’Williams said the incident left Ryan with injuries to his legs, hands and head, and raised concerns about a possible concussion. But according to sheriffs, Ryan had spat at a deputy while inside a patrol car and “had been an ongoing problem.”
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Young Thug 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 he waits for jury selection to be finalized, the YSL leader was reportedly granted a temporary release from prison earlier this month to mourn the passing of his older sister, Angela Grier.
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Thugga’s other sister, Dolly White, seemed to confirm Grier’s passing when she reshared a post of Grier that had been initially uploaded by Lil Keed’s mother. The cause of death remains unclear.
