Young Thug, YSL Trial Day 21: Court resumes days after jail call video shared online
ATLANTA - The trial of Young Thug and his YSL co-defendants in Fulton County resumed Monday after it was unexpectedly delayed for three days last week.
Last Wednesday, Judge Ural Glanville postponed the trial until Monday. Speaking in court on Monday, Glanville addressed the jury and said that he "fell ill" and needed time to recover.
In the days since the trial was put on pause, a video of a jail call between the Atlanta rapper and his girlfriend, Mariah the Scientist, was shared online.
The intimate video recording, which appears to have been recorded after Christmas at the Cobb County Jail, went viral on several platforms.
The two-minute clip caught the attention of rappers Drake and Meek Mill, the former of whom called out Glanville about his handling of the case.
"This gotta be some form of jail misconduct," Drake wrote on Instagram. "You gonna drag this talented man then not be able to control your employees using his personal business for their own gain? Somebody benefitted from this video even existing and that’s shameful whole case is a wash just 3 the guy and let him come home and continue bringing light to Atlanta!"
In a statement to Billboard, the Cobb County Jail said the call had not been leaked and instead was part of an open records request for phone calls and videos of Young Thug.
On Monday, prosecutors focused on song lyrics, specifically from the song "Droppin jewels," The state questioned key witness Trontavious Stephens about lyrics in what appeared to be an effort to prove that "Thug" does not stand for "Truly Humble Under God" as the defense alleges. Brian Steel, Attorney for Williams, argued during cross-examination that the prosecution was taking lyrics out of context.
Stephens was temporarily excused as a witness late Monday afternoon but may still be called back to the stand at a later time in the trial.
Young Thug Trial Day 20 recap
The trial had recently been centered on the testimony of Trontavious Stephens, a co-founder of YSL and a friend of the Atlanta rapper. Stephens, also known as "Tick" and "Slug," has been answering questions from the prosecution and defense about possible gang connections to the YSL organization.
On Tuesday, after days on the stand, Stephens was temporarily excused once he had been questioned by prosecutor Adriane Love about an Instagram picture in which he was posed in front of a Rolls-Royce. In the caption of the photo, Stephens thanked the rapper for the car.
When the court adjourned for lunch, Stephens was sent home and a new witness, a woman who remained unidentified, was called to the stand. The woman was questioned about the theft of her neighbor's car in 2016. Christian Eppinger, one of the defendants mentioned in Fulton County's indictment, is accused of the crime.
What are the charges Young Thug faces?
A Fulton County grand jury indicted Young Thug in May 2022, and more charges were added in a subsequent indictment in August of that year. The second indictment accuses Young Thug and 27 other people of conspiring to violate Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, known as RICO. The rapper is also accused of participation in criminal street gang activity, as well as drug and gun charges.
Prosecutors say Young Thug and two other people co-founded a violent criminal street gang in 2012 called Young Slime Life, or YSL, which they say is associated with the national Bloods gang. The indictment says Young Thug "made YSL a well-known name by referring to it in his songs and on social media."
In addition to specific charges, the August indictment includes a wide-ranging list of 191 acts that prosecutors say were committed between 2013 and 2022 as part of the alleged conspiracy to further the gang’s interests.
Included in that list is an allegation that Young Thug threatened in July 2015 to shoot a security guard who was trying to get him to leave an Atlanta-area mall. The indictment also says Young Thug rented a silver Infiniti sedan that was used in the killing of a rival gang member. And, on numerous occasions, he and others are alleged to have possessed various illegal drugs that they intended to distribute.
What do Young Thug's defense lawyers say?
Young Thug’s lawyers have said in multiple court filings that he is innocent of all crimes charged in the indictment. They argue that YSL is simply a record label. The rapper has pleaded not guilty.
Multiple defense attorneys in the case have said prosecutors were overzealous in their use of the RICO statute and the anti-gang law, both of which carry heavy penalties.
Who else is charged in the Young Thug YSL RICO trial?
Rapper Gunna, whose given name is Sergio Kitchens, was charged with a single count of racketeering conspiracy. He entered an Alford plea in December, which means he maintains his innocence but recognizes that it’s in his best interest to plead guilty.
During Gunna’s plea hearing, the rapper responded, "Yes, ma’am" when a prosecutor said that "YSL is a music label and a gang" and that he had knowledge that its members or associates had committed crimes in furtherance of the gang.
The other two people accused of co-founding the YSL gang — Walter Murphy and Trontavious Stephens — were also charged. They each pleaded guilty in December to one count of conspiracy to violate the anti-racketeering law.
The remaining defendants are Marquavius Huey, Deamonte "Yak Gotti" Kendrick, Quamarvious Nichols, Rodalius Ryan and Shannon Stillwell.
What penalties does Young Thug face if he's convicted?
Young Thug’s racketeering conspiracy charge and two gang charges each carry a penalty of five to 20 years in prison. The other five charges also carry potential prison time.
The Associated Press contributed to this report