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(Update) Brittney Griner Pleads Guilty To Russian Drug Charges But Denies She Intended To Break The Law

<p>Brittney Griner&&num;8217&semi;s ordeal in Russia doesn&&num;8217&semi;t seem to be coming to an end anytime soon&period; On Thursday&comma; the U&period;S&period; basketball player pled guilty to Russian drug charges&comma; per <em>Reuters&period; <&sol;em>As previously reported&comma; Russian authorities detained Brittney while she was entering the country with vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage&period; If she&&num;8217&semi;s convicted&comma; Brittney could face up to <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;dev&period;theshaderoom&period;com&sol;brittney-griners-trial-in-russia-to-begin-on-friday-faces-up-to-10-years-if-convicted&sol;">10 years in prison<&sol;a>&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<blockquote><p>&&num;8220&semi;I&&num;8217&semi;d like to plead guilty&comma; your honor&period; But there was no intent&period; I didn&&num;8217&semi;t want to break the law&comma;&&num;8221&semi; Brittney told the court&period;<&sol;p><&sol;blockquote>&NewLine;<p>Brittney added that the cartridges officials found in her luggage were a mistake&period; According to <em>CNN&comma; <&sol;em>Brittney <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;cnn&period;com&sol;2022&sol;07&sol;07&sol;europe&sol;brittney-griner-russia-pleads-guilty&sol;index&period;html">told the court<&sol;a> via an interpreter that the contraband was a result of packing in a hurry&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Though Brittney did not speak to reporters while leaving the courtroom&comma; she reportedly asked for time to prepare a statement&period; She is scheduled to be back in court on July 14&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>On Thursday&comma; she appeared wearing a bright red&comma; Crenshaw t-shirt and matching sweats&period; She also wore glasses with her locs pulled into a low ponytail&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<blockquote class&equals;"instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;instagram&period;com&sol;p&sol;CftvAx4rLDA&sol;&quest;utm&lowbar;source&equals;ig&lowbar;embed&&num;038&semi;utm&lowbar;campaign&equals;loading" data-instgrm-version&equals;"14" style&equals;" background&colon;&num;FFF&semi; max-width&colon;658px&semi; min-width&colon;326px&semi; padding&colon;0&semi; width&colon;99&period;375&percnt;&semi; width&colon;-webkit-calc&lpar;100&percnt; - 2px&rpar;&semi; width&colon;calc&lpar;100&percnt; - 2px&rpar;&semi;"><div>&NewLine; <iframe class&equals;"custom-ig-embed" data-src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;instagram&period;com&sol;p&sol;CftvAx4rLDA&sol;embed&sol;captioned" allowtransparency&equals;"true" allowfullscreen&equals;"true" frameborder&equals;"0" height&equals;"640px" scrolling&equals;"no" style&equals;"background&colon;&num;FFF&semi; border&colon;0&semi; border-radius&colon;3px&semi; box-shadow&colon;0 0 1px 0 rgba&lpar;0&comma;0&comma;0&comma;0&period;5&rpar;&comma;0 1px 10px 0 rgba&lpar;0&comma;0&comma;0&comma;0&period;15&rpar;&semi; margin&colon; 1px&semi; max-width&colon;540px&semi; min-width&colon;326px&semi; padding&colon;0&semi; width&colon;99&period;375&percnt;&semi; width&colon;-webkit-calc&lpar;100&percnt; - 2px&rpar;&semi; width&colon;calc&lpar;100&percnt; - 2px&rpar;&semi;"><&sol;iframe>&NewLine; <&sol;div><&sol;blockquote>&NewLine;<p>Brittney&&num;8217&semi;s trial began on July 1 at the Khimki Court near Moscow&period; Prior to the trial&comma; the court determined the U&period;S&period; citizen would remain behind bars for the trial and the next six months&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Her plea on Thursday differs from the <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;dev&period;theshaderoom&period;com&sol;brittney-griner-reportedly-pleads-not-guilty-to-drug-charges-in-russia-update&sol;">plea made in March<&sol;a>&period; At the time&comma; she pled not guilty to drug trafficking charges&period; Russian media reported officials extended Brittney&&num;8217&semi;s detainment to May 19&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h5 style&equals;"text-align&colon; center&semi;"><strong>Brittney Pens Letter To President Biden Requesting Help<&sol;strong><&sol;h5>&NewLine;<p>Towards the end of May&comma; Brittney&&num;8217&semi;s wife Cherelle Griner<a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;dev&period;theshaderoom&period;com&sol;brittney-griners-wife-speaks-out-about-the-wnba-stars-detainment-in-new-interview&sol;"> spoke about the detainment<&sol;a> in an interview&period; She pleaded with President Joe Biden to abide by any demands made by the foreign country&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<blockquote><p>&&num;8220&semi;I keep hearing he has the power&period; She&&num;8217&semi;s a political pawn so if they&&num;8217&semi;re holding her because they want you to do something&comma; then I want you to do it&comma;&&num;8221&semi; Cherelle aimed at President Biden&period;<&sol;p><&sol;blockquote>&NewLine;<p><amp-twitter data-tweetid&equals;"1529430364187500544" layout&equals;"responsive" width&equals;"600" height&equals;"480"><&sol;amp-twitter><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Earlier this week&comma; Brittney echoed her wife&&num;8217&semi;s attempt to directly reach President Joe Biden&period; The 31-year-old penned a letter that was shared in excerpts by <em>ESPN&&num;8217&semi;s<&sol;em> T&period;J&period; Quinn&period; A rep for Brittney and <em>ESPN <&sol;em>refused to release the full letter or how the letter ended up at the White House from Russia&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<blockquote><p>&&num;8220&semi;I realize you are dealing with so much&comma; but please don&&num;8217&semi;t forget about me and the other detainees&comma;&&num;8221&semi; Brittney wrote&period; &&num;8220&semi;Please do all you can to bring us home&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p><&sol;blockquote>&NewLine;<p><amp-twitter data-tweetid&equals;"1544043021213356038" layout&equals;"responsive" width&equals;"600" height&equals;"480"><&sol;amp-twitter><&sol;p>&NewLine;<h5 style&equals;"text-align&colon; center&semi;"><strong>Russian Officials Say Brittney Is Not A Political Prisoner<&sol;strong><&sol;h5>&NewLine;<p>Brittney&&num;8217&semi;s arrest back in February came on the heels of Russia invading Ukraine&&num;8211&semi;thus souring relations with the U&period;S&period; and other countries&period; Though the U&period;S&period; declared Brittney &&num;8220&semi;wrongfully detained&&num;8221&semi; in May&comma; the status has done little to help her situation&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Moreover&comma; Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied the athlete is a hostage&period; Speaking through spokesperson Dmitry Peskov&comma; the <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;dev&period;theshaderoom&period;com&sol;spokesman-for-vladimir-putin-claims-brittney-griner-is-not-a-hostage-as-she-remains-in-russian-custody&sol;">president said<&sol;a> she&&num;8217&semi;s being punished for breaking the law regarding hashish&period; Dmitry pointed out that &&num;8220&semi;hundreds and hundreds of Russian citizens&&num;8221&semi; have met the similar judgment for the same crime&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<blockquote><p>&&num;8220&semi;She violated Russian law&comma; and now she&&num;8217&semi;s being prosecuted&period; It&&num;8217&semi;s not about being a hostage&comma;&&num;8221&semi; Dmitry said&period; &&num;8220&semi;There are lots of American citizens here&period; They&&num;8217&semi;re enjoying their freedoms&&num;8230&semi;but you have to obey the laws&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p><&sol;blockquote>&NewLine;<p><iframe title&equals;"YouTube video player" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;youtube&period;com&sol;embed&sol;K&lowbar;gTO2uSdaQ" width&equals;"560" height&equals;"315" frameborder&equals;"0" allowfullscreen&equals;"allowfullscreen"><&sol;iframe><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Want updates directly in your text inbox&quest; 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Cassandra S

I like to tell stories, pretend I'm funny and experience everything so I can tell more stories. I love the truth and I'm great at verifying it.

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