WINDER, Ga. -- The drug charge against one of the University of Georgia football players arrested shortly after their SEC Championship win have been dropped.
Thursday morning, the Barrow County District Attorney's office dismissed the marijuana possession charge against linebacker Natrez Patrick. His lawyer William Healan said there just wasn't any evidence against him.
"They really didn't have any choice. There wasn't any evidence against Natrez," Healan said to 11Alive.
He said Patrick was riding inside his teammate Jayson Stanley's family car when they were pulled over for speeding. He said people don't typically check the contents of friends cars before they get in.
Stanley was initially charged with DUI, speeding and possession of marijuana. Thursday, his DUI charge was dropped. Stanley's attorney Kevin Christopher said there wasn't enough evidence to prove that his client was driving under the influence.
"We felt like after investigating the case that there really wasn't enough evidence to show that he was impaired," Christopher said to 11Alive.
"That was the most serious charges and could have done the most harm to him."
In Barrow County Probate County, Stanley plead guilty to possession of marijuana, less than an ounce and speeding. According to the disposition agreement, Stanley said under oath, that the marijuana belonged to him and that Patrick had no knowledge of it.
Both lawyers described the amount of marijuana as very small. Healan called it a "little itty-bitty piece of marijuana leaf." Christopher described the marijuana as being "smaller than a penny."
11Alive obtained this evidence picture of the marijuana that was found.
Body camera video from police shows the men's arrest on Dec. 2 after the Bulldogs beat Auburn to win the SEC championship. In it, Stanley claims ownership of the drugs.
This was Patrick's third arrest. Patrick was arrested in October for alleged marijuana possession in Athens-Clarke County. He was suspended from Georgia for four games and returned to play against Auburn in the regular season.
He was arrested back in November 2015 with teammate Chauncey Rivers, who was eventually dismissed from the team, by Athens-Clarke County Police for marijuana possession on campus.
The school has not commented on the dropped charges and did not announce any punishments.
