Lawyer For Tab “Turk” Virgil Hope New Evidence Secures Rapper’s Release

As Tab “Turk “ Virgil awaits trial for attempted murder for his alleged involvement in a shooting that left a police officer wounded in Memphis Tennessee, an attorney for the rapper spoke with AllHipHop.com, stating the Virgil may be free in as little as three weeks. Javier Bailey is one of the attorneys representing Virgil, […]

As Tab “Turk

“ Virgil awaits trial for attempted murder for his alleged involvement in

a shooting that left a police officer wounded in Memphis Tennessee, an attorney

for the rapper spoke with AllHipHop.com, stating the Virgil may be free in as

little as three weeks. Javier Bailey is

one of the attorneys representing Virgil, who is currently incarcerated for

allegedly shooting a SWAT team member during a raid on an apartment in which

he and a man named Sean Jackson were visiting.

Federal agents

arrested Virgil on one charge of attempted murder in January 2004.

Members of the

Memphis SWAT team raided an apartment where Virgil had been residing while recording

his third solo album, Penitentiary Chances.

Police have stated

they were executing a search warrant seeking drugs and assault weapons. A small

amount of drugs were uncovered, but no assault weapons were found, according

to reports.

"It is my

assumption that when they went to the apartment, knowing that he was a rapper,

so they approached with the intentions of shooting because they thought there

was going to be violence." Bailey told AllHipHop.com. "That’s the

only reasonable explanation because they used a [tear] bomb upon entrance which

controlled everyone in the house. But they still went in firing."

Virgil has maintained

his innocence and told investigators he was hiding in a closet when police raided

the apartment. The New Orleans based rapper also claimed that cops failed to

identify themselves and began shooting while he was in the closet.

Memphis’ Shelby

County detectives allege that Turk shot at deputies during the drug raid. It

was later concluded that another officer was injured after being shot by a fellow

SWAT team member in a friendly fire incident, but Virgil was charged with seriously

wounding another officer who was shot during the raid.

According to Bailey,

Virgil may be looking at the conclusion of his federal trial in less than 3

weeks.

Bailey revealed that recent ballistic evidence that linked the former Cash Money

rapper to the shooting has been returned as inconclusive, raising doubt that

the rapper fired a weapon.

Last week, a judge

gave prosecutors a new trial date of August 1 as they attempted to locate Jackson,

whose absence could prove to be a critical blow to the prosecutions case.

Bailey also said

there is now an unidentified eye witness who was hiding under a bed in the next

room that the defense may call to testify on behalf of Virgil. The witness also

had the same gun residue that is described in the crime report on his hands

as Turk did.

Bailey remained confident that a jury would view the evidence in favor of Virgil

and that the charges would eventually be dismissed.

“I am confident

that the entire case will end up being thrown out both on the federal side and

state because the evidence just doesn’t back up their claims.”

Virgil was a member of The

Hot Boys, one of Cash Money Records’ most popular groups that also featured

Juvenile, Lil’ Wayne and B.G.