LIBERTY – Jury deliberations have begun in a trial involving aMcComb attorney accused of selling drugs to an inmate at theLincoln County jail.

Deliberations in the trial of attorney John Jackson startedaround 10:10 p.m. Friday following a flurry of 17 defense witnessesearlier in the day.

Judge Al Johnson halted deliberations just after midnight. Aftera weekend recess, the deliberations are scheduled to resume Mondaymorning.

The most telling of Friday’s witnesses was the defendanthimself, who took the stand to refute the charges shortly after 5p.m.

Jackson said he had been framed in a conspiracy involving lawenforcement officials, the district attorney and an habitualcriminal with vendettas against him. Jackson claimed the conspiracywas due to his success as a defense attorney and because thoseinvolved were racists.

Jackson claimed District Attorney Danny Smith disliked himpersonally, Mississippi Department of Corrections ProbationsOfficer John Purser harassed him by staring at him and throughother indirect means, and Lincoln County Narcotics officer ChrisPicou disliked him personally and was a racist.

He began wiping tears from his eyes as he recounted the eventsof June 4, the day he was arrested following a “sting” operation atthe jail.

Jackson denied previous testimony by Picou, Narcotics Task ForceAgent John Douglas and Purser that, while being arrested, he saidan item being passed on the videotape of the alleged transactionwould be “inconclusive.”

“The first I heard of that was during the pre-trial hearings,”Jackson said. “Such a statement would be idiotic on my part,especially since I had not viewed the tape. No, I did not saythat.”

Jackson admitted to receiving money from inmate-client CedricWatson because it was money owed to him for his legal services. Thedefendant said the two did discuss Watson’s two pending cases, onefor robbery and one for possession of a controlled substance.

Jackson agreed that much of the prosecution testimony about whatwas said on a video tape of the alleged transaction is true, buttaken out of context.

Jackson did not deny giving Watson cigarettes, which arecontraband in the jail.

He said Watson had told him that cigarettes were allowed. TheMcComb lawyer said he passed cigarettes to Watson twice, becausethey were in different pockets.

In the closing remarks after the defense rested, Smith said thecase was not about a conspiracy.

“It’s about a man with an awesome responsibility to care for hisclients” charged with selling drugs in a correctional facility,Smith said. “You are looking at a man who works in this arena. Yousaw a skilled lawyer today sitting in that chair. Mr. Miller(Jackson’s attorney) is correct, you are not looking at just anyperson, he is a skilled lawyer and one who knows how to work ajury. Today he (Jackson) was on a stage and he acted superbly.

“Look at his face in the video,” Smith continued. “He was notplaying to a jury then. When you look into his eyes, you can seehis soul. This is a man who did something wrong.”

Responding to defense questions about why Watson was not chargedwith possession of marijuana, Smith said he is more concerned abouta man in Jackson’s position selling dope to young men than oneinmate in a jail.

“Watson is behind bars on several charges. He’s not goinganywhere soon. Jackson has violated his oath and brought dishonoron this profession. Yes, indeed, I chose to prosecute him. I madethat decision and I stand by it as the elected district attorney,”Smith said.

In his closing, Miller said defending criminals and the pooroften seems to put them on different sides of the law from theofficers and prosecutors, but it was their job to be the only lineof defense for those people. He said no matter how hard you try tohelp people, sometimes it just doesn’t mean anything.

“Sometimes when you stick your neck out to help people, such asJohn did with Cedric, you get your head chopped off,” Millersaid.

The defense attorney said it was in Watson’s best interest toframe Jackson, for he could look forward to the judge in hispending charges granting leniency in the sentencing because of hiscontributions to this case.