Young Thug RICO Trial: Detective barred from testifying after comment about defendant

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - A former detective who investigated Atlanta rapper Young Thug and others was disqualified from serving as a witness in the musician’s extensive gang and racketeering trial on Thursday. 

Former Atlanta police detective Ty Dennis had been testifying for hours when he mentioned that one of the defendants, Deamonte Kendrick, had been released from jail. At the time, the prosecution was questioning Dennis about Kendrick standing on the hood of a luxury vehicle owned by rapper and alleged rival gang member YFN Lucci.

The remark prompted Kendrick's attorney, Doug Weinstein, to call for a mistrial.

Judge Paige Reese Whitaker excused Dennis from the stand and informed both the prosecution and defense that he would not be permitted to testify again. She also ordered that his testimony and all associated exhibits be stricken from the record.

Whitaker noted that she would have granted the mistrial request if not for the fact that one of Kendrick’s charges referenced a prior conviction in the indictment.

Late Thursday night, the state filed a motion requesting the judge reconsider her oral order to strike Dennis’s entire testimony. While the state agreed with striking the specific comment about Kendrick, it argued that excluding the entire testimony and related exhibits was "improper."

Brian Steel, the lead attorney for Young Thug (whose legal name is Jeffery Williams), addressed the state’s motion in court on Friday morning. Steel argued that the motion did not align with "reality" and expressed his readiness to argue against it. However, Judge Whitaker instructed him to submit his response in writing by Monday.

Young Thug and 27 others were indicted in 2022 for violating Georgia's RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) law and committing multiple violent crimes. Following the longest jury selection in history (10 months), the trial for Young Thug and several co-defendants began 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 eight 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.