According to a legal expert, the ongoing trial of rapper Young Thug serves as a potential preview of what could transpire in the forthcoming trial of former US President Donald Trump in Georgia.
Young Thug’s trial has become the longest running in the history of Georgia state, marked by a slow-moving and drama-filled progress. Similar to Trump, Young Thug faces charges under Georgia’s Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organizations [RICO] Act, which is aimed at addressing organized crime. The district attorney for Fulton County, covering most of Atlanta, Fani Willis, is prosecuting both cases. On Monday, Newsweek reached out to Willis’ office for comment via email.
David Lat, an attorney and author of the Original Jurisdiction legal blog, highlighted in a recent post that the Young Thug trial presents a unique opportunity to gain valuable insights into the potential prosecution of the Trump case.
“Make sure to keep a close watch on this case. It’s a massive RICO trial involving a high-profile defendant, currently being tried in Fulton County, Georgia, under the jurisdiction of District Attorney Fani Willis—similar to the State of Georgia v. Donald J. Trump case.”
Lat wrote that the Young Thug case could provide hints of what’s to come when the Trump case resumes, which is currently on hold by the Georgia Court of Appeals while Trump’s appeal of Judge Scott McAfee’s order to not disqualify Willis from the case is being heard.
A street gang by the name of Young Slime Life, or YSL, which happens to be the same name as Young Thug’s record label, Young Stoner Life, has led to the indictment of Young Thug and 27 others. The charges stem from alleged involvement in a conspiracy to violate Georgia’s RICO Act.
Jeffery Lamar Williams, known by his stage name Young Thug, is currently facing charges related to drugs and weapons possession. Prosecutors allege that he often referenced his affiliation with YSL (Young Stoner Life) in his popular rap songs, many of which have garnered millions of views on YouTube. Despite the indictments, Williams maintains his innocence and claims that he is not actually involved in criminal activity. He contends that the gangster lifestyle he portrays in his music is simply a persona that he adopts as part of his artistry and to appeal to his audience.
In the 2020 presidential election, Willis charged Trump, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and 17 others with fraud in Georgia. Despite all the accused pleading not guilty, four of them are presently aiding authorities. Trump has adamantly denied any wrongdoing.
According to Lat, there will be a significant contrast between the trials of Trump and Young Thug. He expressed his prediction that Judge Scott McAfee, who is presiding over the Trump case, will conduct the trial more efficiently than Judge Glanville is currently doing.
On Monday, Glanville and Donald Trump’s attorney were both contacted by Newsweek via email for a comment.
According to Lat, the trial of Young Thug is progressing at a sluggish pace, which may indicate the way in which the Trump trial will be handled.
“He added that Young Thug’s trial commenced in January 2023, which may seem like a distant future, but it’s the reality. It took 10 months just to pick a jury, and opening statements were made in November of the same year. As of now, the prosecution has possibly completed only half of its witness list, and the trial is still ongoing after seven long months,” he explained.
Lat reported that the trial, which has been ongoing for 18 months, is now the longest in the history of the state of Georgia. Defense lawyers have estimated that it could continue until 2025.
“Last week’s trial took a turn for the worse, according to him. He even went as far as saying that it went completely off the rails, or perhaps even more so than he thought was possible.”
According to a report, Young Thug’s lead attorney, Brian Steel, was held in contempt by Judge Ural Glanville on Monday. This is a rare occurrence in high-profile cases as it’s been over 50 years since a defense lawyer has been held in contempt, let alone sentenced to jail time, in the midst of a trial. The severity of the situation highlights the importance of upholding proper courtroom conduct and respecting the legal system.
Glanville was in a closed-door meeting with prosecutors and Kenneth Copeland, who was the main witness in the case. Steel was held in contempt because he refused to disclose the source of his information about the meeting’s details to Glanville.
Last weekend, Lil Woody, also known as Copeland, was incarcerated for being held in contempt of court due to his refusal to testify in the ongoing case.
After meeting with Glanville, he agreed to testify. However, his testimony was quite disruptive as he repeatedly yawned and napped through it. He also claimed that he couldn’t recall key events.
Ashleigh Merchant, a Georgia attorney, has taken on the cases of both defendants. She is representing Mike Roman, who is co-accused with Trump, and intervened to represent Steel when he was held in contempt.
During an interview with Greta Van Susteren on Newsmax, attorney Merchant revealed that she led a group of approximately twenty-four lawyers and paralegals to assist Steel when he was held in contempt.
As the president of the Georgia defense lawyers’ association, she recounted sending a “strike force” to assist Steel in court. However, only she was granted entry into the courtroom.
According to Merchant, the situation was unreasonable and illogical, considering that there were several vacant seats in the public gallery that could have accommodated the other individuals who were with her.
Steel’s jail time has been put on hold by the Georgia Court of Appeal as it reviews his case.
Merchant noted that the Trump trial is currently under review by an appellate court.
According to her, he had recently received news that Willis’ office had submitted a motion to the appeal court, urging them to send the case back to trial and discard Trump’s claims of her disqualification from the case.
