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It has taken several months for a jury to be selected to serve in the “YSL” RICO case involving Atlanta rapper Young Thug, but on Monday, the “Go Crazy” artist’s attorney confirmed that a Fulton County judge would begin seating the jury Wednesday in order to comply with Georgia’s speedy trial law, and now, after an apparently tense court session between the attorneys and judge, it’s finally happened, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.
According to 11 Alive, Young Thug, born Jeffery Williams, requested a speedy trial soon after his arrest last year. Since then, all he’s gotten from the court are a handful of bond denials, and questions were raised concerning whether the speedy trial requirement needed to be met by November 8, lest it be determined that Williams’ rights are being denied. This led to Judge Ural Glanville’s ruling on Monday that the jury seating process would be moved up from later this month to immediately.
From 11 Alive:
The jury selection process has been a winding, labored one that has spanned nearly the entirety of this year. It began in January and already, in April, defense attorneys were calling it “the longest in Georgia history.” Five months have passed since.
Young Thug meanwhile has remained in jail since his initial arrest in May 2022, roughly a year-and-a-half of pretrial detention. His attorneys have lobbied for – and been denied – bond on several occasions, most recently in June.
His attorneys have even argued their client has “languished” in the Cobb County Jail, causing his health to decline due to sleep deprivation and lack of nutritious food to eat.
“This lifestyle has caused physical harm to Mr. Williams,” his lawyer said in June.
But none of that has moved Judge Glanville to grant the “Trance” artist bail, likely because prosecutors have argued they have evidence that the alleged leader of the alleged gang, who they have referred to in court as “King Slime,” would intimidate witnesses if he were freed. Young Thug’s attorneys have, of course, denied such allegations.
Young Thug’s defense team has noted that out of the 28 defendants included in the original indictment, only seven, including their client, are set to go to trial. The others either had their cases dropped from the indictment, or they have taken deals, like fellow ATL rapper Gunna.
Meanwhile, according to Fox 5, a hearing is scheduled for Nov. 8 to determine whether Young Thug’s rap lyrics can be used as evidence in the case.
The trial is set to begin Nov. 27.
