Young Thug, YSL RICO Trial: Court will continue to review evidence Tuesday
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - ,Monday's court session started with a delay as the prosecution arrived late, despite proceedings being scheduled to begin at noon. An annoyed Judge Whitaker adjourned the session to allow the defendants to eat lunch before court commenced.
Much of the day was spent reviewing social media posts by an upcoming witness, Antonio Sledge, also known as Mounk Tounk. Sledge, who took a plea deal in 2022, has agreed to testify in the case.
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Prosecutors also informed the court of their intention to use video evidence from last year showing severed YSL defendant Kahlieff Adams handing Young Thug (real name Jeffery Williams) a pill in open court.
One of the defense attorneys argued against the State's use of uncharged post-indictment conduct to support their racketeering case, specifically referencing the video of Adams handing Williams a pill in January 2023.
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Judge Whitaker ruled on some of the post-indictment conduct, stating that there was no evidence indicating the alleged criminal acts were part of a conspiracy. However, she withheld judgment on other acts, explaining that she is still awaiting case law from both sides to support their positions.
Judge Whitaker also addressed the time limit motion filed by Shannon Stillwell's attorney, Doug Weinstein, on Monday. Although Weinstein made a compelling argument for the motion, Judge Whitaker did not officially rule on it. Instead, she informed Weinstein and the court that she will monitor the situation closely. She added that if she notices the prosecution repeating evidence or if a witness, such as Kenneth "Lil Woody" Copeland, remains on the stand for too long, she will intervene.
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Judge Whitaker also told the prosecution that she did not think testimony from another gang expert is needed at this time.
Additionally, Judge Whitaker instructed the prosecution team to complete the additional training on Brady material that she ordered on Aug. 8. She informed the prosecution that they can watch the training video in her courtroom with a deputy present. The additional training was mandated after concerns arose that the prosecution may not have turned over some evidence to the defense in a timely manner.
The jury is not hearing testimony this week because the original case judge, Judge Ural Glanville, gave them the week off. The lawyers and judge will continue going through materials and discussing motions for the rest of the week. The jury will return on Aug. 26.
Young Thug and 27 others were indicted in 2022 for violating Georgia's RICO or racketeering law and committing multiple violent crimes. Following the longest jury selection in history (10 months), a trial for Young Thug (real name Jeffery Williams) and several co-defendants got underway in November 2023. It is now the longest trial in Georgia history. Prosecutors are attempting to prove that YSL (Young Slime Life) is a criminal street gang responsible for numerous offenses, including murder. The defendants maintain that YSL stands for Young Stoner Life and is the name of a record label founded by Young Thug. Young Thug is facing 8 criminal charges. The trial has been plagued by various disruptions, including illnesses, the arrests of a juror and a lawyer, the stabbing of defendant Shannon Stillwell, the removal of the judge originally assigned to the case, and more.