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YSL RICO Trial: Defendant stabbed in jail day before jury set to resume deliberations

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Updated  December 2, 2024 8:10am EST
YSL Trial
FOX 5 Atlanta
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FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - One of the remaining defendants in the current YSL RICO trial in Fulton County was reportedly stabbed Sunday at Fulton County Jail, according to his attorney, Doug Weinstein.

Weinstein posted on TikTok that he spoke with his client, Deamonte Kendrick, on Sunday night, and although he sounded tired, he expects him to make a full recovery. Kendrick was apparently on his way to the hospital to receive stitches. He also said that he expects to see him in court today.

Weinstein spoke one-on-one with FOX 5 last week, saying that he has been trying to keep his client's spirits up while they wait for the jury to decide his fate.

"I'll show him pictures of him and that people will take off the feed or things the photographers will take. I'll show him that, you know, anything that shows that he has a huge amount of public support behind him," he said.

Deliberations are scheduled to resume Monday morning in the longest-running criminal trial in Fulton County history.

The YSL RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) trial, involving Grammy winning artist Young Thug and multiple associates, began a little over one year ago. Many of the defendants, including Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, have already taken plea deals, while several others are still waiting to go to trial.

Of those who went to trial with Williams, only Deamonte Kendrick and Shannon Stillwell remain. Both men are accused of murder and if they are convicted, they will reportedly be sentenced to life without parole. 

Members of the jury began their deliberations last Tuesday afternoon after prosecutors and defense attorneys wrapped up their closing arguments.

Those deliberations continued on Wednesday and jurors were given the option to stay until 7 p.m. if they felt they were close to a verdict, but they chose to go home at 3 p.m. and resume deliberations after a break for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Deliberations are set to continue on Monday morning.

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Williams pleaded guilty to gang, drug and gun charges on Oct. 31 after negotiations with prosecutors broke down. That left the sentence up to Whitaker, who gave him a 40-year sentence that let him walk free on probation with hefty restrictions, including a ban from the metro Atlanta area for the first 10 years except for certain occasions.

The slow-moving trial has been fraught with problems from the start. Jury selection took nearly 10 months, and Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville, the original judge, was removed from the case in July after defense attorneys filed a recusal motion based on a secretive meeting he held with prosecutors and a state witness.

Whitaker took over the case and often lost patience with prosecutors for what she once called "poor lawyering." She and defense attorneys scolded prosecutors for not sharing evidence in advance.

More than 175 witnesses testified throughout the trial. Prosecutors alleged that Young Thug and two others co-founded a violent criminal street gang in 2012 called Young Slime Life, or YSL, which they say is affiliated with the national Bloods gang.

At Young Thug’s plea hearing, defense attorney Brian Steel said that Young Thug was "falsely accused" and the evidence against him was weak. He also condemned the use of rap lyrics during the trial.

Steel said he thought they were winning the trial and wanted to stick it out to a jury verdict, but Young Thug wanted to go home to his family instead of sitting through the rest of the trial, which felt like "hell."

Nine people charged in the indictment, including Atlanta rapper Gunna, whose real name is Sergio Kitchens, accepted plea deals before the trial began. Twelve others are to be tried separately. Prosecutors dropped charges against one defendant after he was convicted of murder in an unrelated case.

What the Remaining YSL Trial Co-Defendants Are Charged With

Deamonte Kendrick (Yak Gotti): Conspiracy to violate RICO, murder (2015 murder of Donovan Thomas), participation in criminal street gang activity, three counts of violation of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of a machine gun, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon with a prior felony involving the use or possession of a firearm.

Shannon Stillwell (Shannon Jackson or SB): Conspiracy to violate RICO, two counts of murder (2015 murder of Donovan Thomas Jr. and 2022 murder of Shymel Drinks), two counts of participation in criminal street gang activity, two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon with a prior felony involving the use or possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.


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. 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. Young Thug and three other defendants took a plea deal at the end of October 2024. There are several others who were indicted who have not gone to trial at this time.