The rapper faces further costs together with three counts of violating Georgia’s managed substances act, possession of a firearm whereas committing a felony and possession of a machine gun. He has pleaded not responsible to all eight counts. Six defendants, together with Williams, are standing trial.
Fulton County District Lawyer Fani T. Willis has alleged that Williams was related to a Bloods-affiliated felony avenue gang referred to as Younger Slime Life (or YSL). The allegations counsel that the artist’s rap lyrics typically use the acronym “YSL” — the initials of each the gang and Thug’s document label, Younger Stoner Life Information — and different alleged felony exercise. Prosecutors intend on utilizing the rap lyrics within the courtroom trial.
Willis used the identical RICO legislation to indict former president Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants in reference to their alleged try to overturn the outcomes of the 2020 election.
Adriane Love, the chief deputy district legal professional, made the opening assertion on behalf of prosecutors Monday, saying that Williams and the opposite defendants partook in gang-related exercise for years.
“YSL checks all of the packing containers for being a felony avenue gang,” she mentioned.
“Defendant Jeffery Williams was its proclaimed chief,” she mentioned. “YSL, because the proof will present, didn’t transfer individually. The members and associates of YSL moved like a pack, with defendant Jeffery Williams as its head,” Love mentioned.
Her opening assertion was interrupted as Williams’s protection crew referred to as for a mistrial, after Love’s presentation tied Williams’s legal professional to a separate case, which Decide Glanville had beforehand ordered in opposition to. The protection mentioned it had not seen a number of slides in her PowerPoint presentation, regardless of courtroom orders to alternate supplies that might be offered. After a prolonged backwards and forwards, which included different objections from the protection to materials within the presentation, the movement was denied by Decide Glanville.
Nonetheless, a number of attorneys representing the defendants referred to as out alleged factual errors inside Love’s opening assertion presentation slides and referred to as for them to be faraway from the case.
The delays Monday morning comply with a number of postponements within the trial, which has drawn nationwide consideration for elevating the query about how rap lyrics may very well be utilized by prosecutors in authorized disputes.
A number of delays postponed the trial, together with a prolonged jury choice as some potential jurors needed to go away the case over its doubtlessly prolonged schedule, in accordance with the Related Press. On Nov. 1, a jury of 12 folks had been chosen for the trial after practically 10 months.
Williams was first arrested on Might 9, 2022, and charged alongside 27 others, together with rappers Gunna and Yak Gotti. A number of of the defendants took plea offers, together with Gunna, an Atlanta rapper whose actual identify is Sergio Kitchens and had an in depth affiliation with Younger Thug.
Prosecutors argue that Younger Thug, Gunna and different rappers charged within the case hinted at felony habits via lyrics of their songs. The protection, in addition to civil rights attorneys, have argued that lyrics are an instance of freedom of expression and that focusing on rap lyrics can be an assault on Black artwork.
The authorized dispute paused a rising profession for Younger Thug, who has seen three of his albums hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. He has been in custody since being arrested in 2022. The rapper, who has collaborated with artists like Drake, Travis Scott and Nicki Minaj, has been nominated for 4 Grammys, and gained tune of the 12 months in 2019 for his songwriting work on Infantile Gambino’s “That is America.” Attorneys for Williams and the Fulton County district legal professional’s workplace didn’t reply to a number of requests for remark.
Ben Brasch contributed to this report.