Drayton 'Beecher' Smith III was arrested Wednesday morning at his office by federal authorities and made an initial appearance in the afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge James Allen, who released Smith on his own recognizance. Smith will be arraigned before Allen on Dec. 13. The case has been assigned to U.S. Dist. Judge Bernice Donald. The six-count indictment says that between Dec. 11, 2004, and Jan. 31, 2005, Smith received by computer images of minors engaged in sexually explicit acts on at least six occasions. The charges carry punishment of up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $500,000.
Drayton 'Beecher' Smith III, who has been in practice since 1974, was Elvis Presley's attorney during the last year of the King's life, was involved in handling his estate and he and his brother have been heavy backers of actress Suzanna Leigh since her move to Memphis.
Smith is the author of Sincerely Elvis: An Anthology of Original Poems About Elvis Aaron Presley (he has also released a CD including an Elvis tribute). It was Smith who drew up Elvis' will and also represented Vernon Presley in divorce proceedings from Dee Stanley Presley.