You can’t make this stuff up … The massive racketeering trial of Young Thug and YSL, has been indefinitely halted. So what does that mean? Mistrial imminent? Charges dropped? Thugger and company stay locked up until it picks back up again? Like, what is the word?
Some recent and key developments in the case, including a defendant being stabbed, a star witness jailed for refusing to testify, and frequent sometimes wild clashes between attorneys and the judge, who himself is under fire all sum up the chaos.
The trial, if you want to call it that, has been ongoing for 18 months, and shows no signs of concluding any time soon. Unreal.
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Here’s a quick, 30,000 foot abbreviated recap of what’s what… Young Thug, the Grammy Award-winning rapper, is accused of leading a violent street gang. The trial’s lead attorney, Brian Steel, was recently found in criminal contempt and sentenced to 20 days in jail. Steel’s outburst in court following his contempt charge included claims of improper conduct between the judge, prosecutors, and a key witness.
“This is crazy! This is like communist Russia!” Steel exclaimed in court. Yes, he said that. Dying to know, who is going to play him in the American Crime Story limited series about this you-know-what show of a trial.
On Monday, Judge Ural Glanville of the Fulton County Superior Court suspended the trial indefinitely. Yup, just hit the ol’ pause button.
This decision came after multiple defendants, including Young Thug, accused the judge of misconduct and requested his recusal. Another judge will review these motions, and prosecutors have been ordered to respond by Monday.
The timeline for the trial’s resumption remains uncertain. Maybe soon. Maybe nevuary. Your guesstimate is as good as ours.
Get this, the trial is the longest-running in Georgia’s history. Longest ever! It has already faced significant delays, including a 10-month jury selection process and numerous breaks in testimony. 10 months to select a jury is unheard of. Guilty or not, and we are not dismissing the seriousness of the charges but Young Thug is no Al Capone.
Critics have questioned Judge Glanville’s management of the case, and several defendants’ motions for mistrials have been denied. That’s not super rare. Any good lawyer will fight a judge tooth and nail to benefit their client but that can have an adverse effect on the jury.
Prosecutors, led by Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis, were reportedly surprised by the judge’s decision to pause the trial. Willis has faced criticism for her use of Georgia’s anti-racketeering statute to bring complex, multi-defendant cases, which some argue strain the court system. The Young Thug trial is seen as a precursor to how another high-profile case involving former President Donald Trump might unfold, as Willis also leads that prosecution. Good luck with the latter after the US Supreme Court’s recent ruling on Presidential immunity.