After almost a full day of deliberating, a seven-man, six-woman jury sent word to Superior Court Judge David Smith that they had reached a verdict - Joel Randall Williams was found not guilty of trafficking methamphetamine, the most serious charge he had been facing.

Williams, who did not take the stand, had been accused of trafficking methamphetamine due to the amount of methamphetamine - 218.6 grams, nearly one-half pound - found in the vehicle he was driving. The meth was discovered during a "take-down" performed as a result of an investigation involving a confidential informant and surveillance.

Defense attorney Donald Evans argued that Williams was driving a vehicle he used as a work truck and that the confidential informant, who Williams had given a job, had been in the vehicle the previous evening and the day of Williams' arrest. The confidential informant rode to job sites with Williams regularly, according to the defense.