remembering legendary actor james caan this is nbc nightly news with lester holt. good evening, everyone a guilty plea today in a russian court from brittney griner, the american basketball star the biden administration says has been unlawfully held griner admitting to carrying vape cartridges containing cannabis oil into russia her lawyer saying she did so accidentally, hoping griner s contrition will lead to a lenient sentence. as it stands, a conviction carries a possible maximum sentence of ten years in prison. today s development also being seen in this country as potentially the first step in a delicate diplomatic dance to win her release in a prisoner swap. the wnba standout the wnba standout also receiving a letter today from president biden in response to her plea not to be forgotten. andrea mitchell has details. reporter: on just the second day of her trial, wnba superstar brittney griner, handcuffed and carrying a photo of her wife, cherelle, pleading guilt
cell in the courtroom, the judge ruling she acted deliberately when she tried to carry cannabis cartridges into the country. the wnba star gave a heartfelt apology. i want to apologize to my teammates, my klug, the fans, and the city of ekat for the mistake i made and the embarrassment i brought onto them. this adds to a stalemate between moscow and washingwashington over a prisoner. cnn s kylie atwood is at the state department. jeremy diamond is at the white house. let s check in with fred pleitgen. i understand griner s attorneys are speak. let s listen to them and then i ll come back to you. reporter: this correspondents to what s happening. it s totally going against the actual part of the russian penal code. we will appeal and we re very disappointed and surprised by this decision. how is britney feeling? she feels bad. any word a possible exchange? no, no one is discussing that was. it s a question for the administration. if appeal will not be granted. do you thi
we said we ll see you on thursday. she said see you on tuesday. she was very upset and very stressed and she can hardly talk honestly. so it s difficult time for her. let s be clear, a guilty sentence has been almost certain since before griner even confessed to accidentally packing those cannabis cartridges in her luggage. russian courts have a conviction rate of 99%. the white house put out a statement, calling on russia to release griner immediately and says his administration is continuing to pursue every possible avenue to bring home griner and former u.s. marine paul whelan, who is also detained. u.s. officials have proposed a prisoner swap for griner s release, despite claims from the white house that the process is moving quickly, it is expected to take some time and the ball is very much in russia s court. joining me is molly hunter and jonathan, he worked on the case of trevor reed who was released from a russian prison earlier this year. molly, we weren t expec
public, the wnba. she herself was diplomatic. she showed remorse with the russians. it s a case on how to conduct yourself. i know it was painful. her father, a vietnam veteran, stayed very low key and is now surfacing. it s a test case on how to handle the public and the government pressure-wise correctly. but, ambassador, what happens if you don t if you re not a wnba star, if you re mark fogle, a teacher, after being sentenced to 14 years bringing cannabis cartridges in the country. what happens if you don t have access to 24/7 coverage, if you don t have the wnba behind you and your agents, et cetera? are you out of luck?
cartridges in brittney griner admitting to having cannabis cartridges in her luggage but said she brought them by accident. the potential prison time could a plea earn leniency? also the growing pressure on the president to bring her home. also, shockwaves in the uk. boris johnson resigning amid mounting scandal. who he is blaming for forcing him out. the father that sponsored a gun permit application for the suspected july 4 shooter, speaking out. why he said he bears no responsibility. my one-on-one with the new york city mayor eric adams. on the surgeon crime in the city and nationwide. we ask, does he consider new york a dangerous city in the two groups he said are holding america hostage. simone biles and megan rubino at the white house today among 17 receiving the nation s highest honor. and from the godfather, remembering james kohn.