Affidavit: Asst. AGs feared Smith sought indictment

Before Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith's arrest in June, two state assistant attorneys general feared his office was seeking to indict them, according to an affidavit.

Smith was arrested on June 22 on a six-count affidavit filed by the state attorney general’s office in Hinds County Court. The charges allege Smith aided two criminal defendants, Christopher Butler and Darnell Turner, both of whom face multiple charges.

Before the Hinds County grand jury was to meet in June, Assistant Attorneys General Patrick Beasley and Shaun Yurkhuran called Assistant District Attorney Jamie McBride with concerns that Smith's office could be planning to prosecute them, according to his affidavit notarized on Thursday. Both Beasley and Yurkhuran had worked at the district attorney’s office until last fall, when they went to the attorney general’s office.

McBride said his conversations with Beasley and Yurkhuran took place before Smith's arrest.

Read more: http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2016/08/19/affidavit-asst-ags-feared-smith-soughtindictment/88998798/