The prosecution additionally contends that YSL is chargeable for the taking pictures of Lil Wayne’s tourbus in 2015. (Jimmy Carlton Winfrey, an affiliate of Young Thug and Birdman often known as PeeWee Roscoe, was sentenced to 10 years in jail for the taking pictures, although the conviction was overturned in 2018 as a result of the decide had interfered along with his plea negotiations. He was launched in 2020 on time served. Neither Thug nor Birdman was charged.) Love mentioned mentioned the taking pictures was “for nothing, except to show [YSL’s] dominance. That act was intended to show their solidarity, their willingness to act on the behalf of, their willingness to exact violence upon anyone who threatened the position of the criminal street gang calling itself Young Slime Life.”
November 28, 2023
Brian Metal provides his opening assertion on behalf of Young Thug. He tells the story of his consumer’s impoverished upbringing with 10 different kids in a small, three-bedroom condo in Atlanta: “Jeffery Williams was born into an environment, a community, a society that was filled with oppression, despair, hopelessness and helplessness,” he says, segueing into criticism of the police and their dealing with of witnesses. Lil Wayne, Metal provides, was an idol to the aspiring rapper, as was Tupac, whose track “P.Y.T. (Playa Young Thugs)” gave Young Thug his identify. In a viral second, he contends that “THUG” additionally stands for “Truly Humble Under God.” He additional claims that “pushin P” stands for “pushing positivity,” and that YSL was named after Yves Saint Laurent.
Metal spent most of his remarks refuting probably the most critical cost, that Young Thug was concerned in the homicide of Donovan Thomas, Jr. Metal addressed the declare {that a} automotive used in the homicide was rented below Young Thug’s identify by explaining that the rapper usually rented automobiles to pals in want. Metal says that, earlier than the alleged killing, Kenneth Copeland contacted Thug for assist. Answering the decision, he says, was the extent of Thug’s involvement.
December 10, 2023
Shannon Stillwell, a co-defendant of Young Thug, is stabbed in jail. He survives accidents to his again, abdomen, and shoulder. Fellow inmate Willie Brown admits to the stabbing, saying he took the knife from Stillwell after coming into his cell. The trial is suspended till the brand new yr.
January 3, 2024
Trontavious Stephens, a member of YSL, takes the witness stand after agreeing to a plea cope with eight years of probation. He identifies himself, Young Thug, and Walter Murphy because the founding members of YSL. He admits the group emerged from the Raised on Cleveland avenue gang however says it was fashioned as “a music label—music happened first.”
February 20, 2024
The prosecution performs a 911 name by an nameless lady, who claims to have heard of a taking pictures dedicated by Young Thug. “They came to my house and told me that the guy who shot somebody’s name was Young Thug, whoever that’s supposed to be,” she says in the decision.
April 4, 2024
The decide denies a request, by Young Thug’s attorneys, to have lead prosecutor Adriane Love faraway from the case. Brian Metal had objected to her questioning witnesses with a collection of “Isn’t it true you told me” type questions. He says the rhetoric makes her an unsworn witness, who needs to be topic to interrogation on the stand.
April 8, 2024
Extra allegations of impropriety by the prosecution. Jurors are proven textual content messages {that a} prosecution investigator, Rasheed Hamilton, despatched to a witness recognized as A. Bennett, who first took the stand in March. One message reads, “Hit me up if you’re bored later. We’re not gonna talk shop.” Bennett testified that Hamilton had mentioned he needed so far her and referred to as her “mama” on a number of events. No subsequent motion in opposition to Hamilton was reported.
July 1, 2024
The trial is paused indefinitely as a number of defence attorneys complain that Choose Ural Glanville held improper non-public conferences with prosecutors and an uncooperative witness. The witness, Kenneth Copeland, aka rapper Lil Woody, had refused to testify and was held in contempt of courtroom. The conferences passed off with out defence attorneys’ information, however when Metal realized of them and talked about it in courtroom, he too was held in contempt for refusing to reveal his supply. He acquired a 20-day jail sentence that was quickly reversed. Glanville subsequently launched a full transcript of the assembly.
July 15, 2024
Choose Ural Glanville is recused. Choose Rachel Krause, who dominated on the recusal, wrote that, whereas the ex parte assembly was not inappropriate, the recusal was essential to protect “the public’s confidence in the judicial system.” A separate movement seeks to recuse Krause herself from deciding on the recusal, resulting from a $2,000 marketing campaign donation she acquired from Glanville. Krause denies that movement.
July 17, 2024
Choose Ural Glanville’s substitute, Choose Shukura Ingram, who had been randomly assigned to the case, is herself recused, as a result of her former courthouse deputy had a romantic relationship with Christian Eppinger, one in every of Young Thug’s co-defendants.
August 12, 2024
The trial resumes with Choose Paige Reese Whitaker in place. Copeland, a key witness, restarts his testimony however solutions most questions “I don’t recall.”
October 23, 2024
Courtroom is adjourned after rapper Slimelife Shawty reads out an Instagram submit with the hashtag “#FreeQua”—which the state ought to have redacted from his paper copy—throughout his testimony. For the reason that hashtag might bias the jury by implying that Quamarvious Nichols, one in every of Young Thug’s co-defendants, has been in jail, Nichols’ attorneys movement for a mistrial. One other defendant who goes by Qua, Marquavius Huey, additionally requests a mistrial. Choose Whitaker criticizes prosectors for a collection of errors of which that is simply the newest. “What I’m trying to do is fix your sloppiness so that everyone won’t have wasted, you know, 10, 12 months of their lives in this trial,” Whitaker tells prosecutors. “I am sorry y’all have, you know, this gigantic, ginormous universe of evidence that maybe if you narrowed down, you would not be making these kind of mistakes.”
October 29, 2024
Following the state’s blunder, Quamarvious Nichols takes a plea deal. All however one of many prices in opposition to him, together with a homicide cost, are dismissed, on the proviso that he settle for the RICO conspiracy cost. That features admission to his involvement in possession and distribution of medication, however Nichols categorically denies collaborating in violence. Nichols will serve seven years of a 20-year sentence, adjusted for time served, with the 13-year steadiness served on probation. The opposite Qua, Marquavius Huey, additionally enters a plea deal. And another defendant, Rodalius Ryan, aka Lil Rod, takes enters a plea deal and receives a 10-year sentence commuted to time served. He’ll now struggle a separate homicide cost in the Georgia Supreme Courtroom.
