Brittney Griner Caged During First Day of Trial, Experts Say Outcome Is Already Decided
Phoenix Mercury player, Brittney Griner, is charged with smuggling cannabis oils in her luggage, which is a felony that could send Griner to prison for 10 years if convicted. Griner’s trial began on July 1st, and U.S legal experts believe an outcome has likely been decided and that Griner is being subjected to a “show trial.”
Cherelle Griner, Brittney’s wife, spoke out after a photo was released last week of the WNBA star in shackles, and surrounded by several security guards. Cherelle spoke to CNN about how Brittney must travel in a small cage, round trip, for five hours. “So BG is having to travel over five hours round trip when she goes to court in a very, very, very tiny cage with her knees bent, feet up to the ground, because it’s not big enough for her to fit in.” Griner is 6-foot-9.
The cage in question is called The Defendant’s Cage. This practice, although not commonly found outside of Egypt, is still used in certain parts of the Middle East, Latin America, & Eastern Europe. A professor at DePaul University’s College of Law, M. Cherif Bassiouni, explained the purpose of this cage practice. “The original rationale for doing it was the fear that criminal defendants would attack or intimidate witnesses or judges.”
Cherelle claimed on Good Morning America that her wife is a political pawn in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine; however, President Vladimir Putin’s top spokesman has openly denied these allegations. Dmitry Peskov claims that Griner is no different than other Russian citizens that break the law.
Hot97 has more HERE.
Categorized:Breaking News The Latest Top Stories WNBA