Young Thug Trial: Attorney for defendant Rodalius Ryan will remain on the case
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - A public defender representing one of the defendants in Fulton County's RICO case against Young Thug and his YSL associates will remain on the case after a hearing on Friday morning.
Angela D'Williams is the only lawyer in the trial who has been appointed to represent one of the defendants on a contractual basis and said in a motion that the amount she's being paid was too low for her to continue with the trial.
D'Williams, who represents 19-year-old Rodalius Ryan, wrote a letter to the Georgia Public Defender Council, saying that she has been left with "minimal time for other professional responsibilities."
This was not the first time D'Williams filed a motion asking to withdraw herself from representing Ryan. Last April, she argued that her pay of $15,000 was too low for a case that could last a year. Now, after months of jury selection and weeks of hearings, she says the increased pay cap of $55,000 is still too low for her to live off of.
Public defender in YSL trial in hot water
The Georgia Public Defender Council (GPDC) wants to remove one of the attorney's in the YSL trial from the case. The GPDC has filed a motion asking that Angela D'Williams, who represents Rodalius Ryan, be taken off the case, citing that she has said one thing publicly and another in private.
"I am not able to take on new clients because I am either in court for this trial, or outside of court working on this case, the majority of my time. As such, I am not able to earn a livable wage, while representing Mr. Ryan in this trial," D’Williams wrote.
D'Williams argued that she has adhered to her agreement, but that the "unique nature of the case has created an undeniable need for additional financial support."
Legal Affairs and Trials reporter Meghann Cuniff wrote that while the chief legal officer for the Georgia Public Defense Council agreed that D'Williams' situation was "unusual," they would not be able to accommodate another pay increase.
Angela D'Williams, who represents Rodalius Ryan in the YSL trial, filed a motion last week to withdraw from the case (FOX 5 Atlanta).
In court on Friday, Judge Ural Glanville, who is overseeing the trial, pushed D'Williams and the agency to reach a compromise following testimony from Omotayo B. Alli, the executive director of the Georgia Public Defender Council.
"This case has gone on a while. It's a marathon and not a sprint," Glanville said.
D'Williams' attorney and the agency slightly modified her contract, agreeing to the clarification that she would be paid $5,000 a month for the duration of the trial but with no additional pay raises. Should the RICO case go to a retrial, Ryan would need to get a new attorney if D'Williams chooses to withdraw at that time.
The attorneys did not agree on whether the GPDC would ask Fulton County to step in to provide more money for additional representation for Ryan if he needs it.
After the compromise, Glanville officially denied D'Williams motion to withdraw.
Rodalius Ryan, a co-defendant of Young Thug, sits in a Fulton County courtroom during the YSL RICO trial on Jan. 11, 2024. (FOX 5)
What are Young Thug and Rodalius Ryan charged with?
Young Thug, whose legal name is Jeffery Williams, was arrested on May 9, 2022, after a sweeping 88-page indictment accused him of being the co-founder of Young Slime Life, or YSL, a subset of the Bloods street gang. Prosecutors allege those named in the indictment have engaged in violent criminal activity in the city since 2012.
Despite requests for bond and an elaborate house arrest plan proposed to the court, Williams remained behind bars after concerns were raised over witness intimidation.
Ryan, who is facing a charge of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, is already serving a life sentence for the 2015 murder of a teenager in Atlanta.
The trial is set to resume on Thursday.