ATLANTA — Following nearly a year of extensive testimony in a significant gang and racketeering case involving Young Thug and an initial group of 27 defendants, prosecutors concluded their arguments on Tuesday, marking this as the longest trial in Georgia’s history.
Both Deamonte Kendrick, known as Yak Gotti, and Shannon Stillwell informed the court that they would not provide testimonies in their defense. Previously, they had turned down plea deals after more than a week of negotiations.
Defense attorneys are expected to request Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker to instruct the jury to find Kendrick and Stillwell not guilty on Wednesday. This motion necessitates that they demonstrate no reasonable basis exists for the jury to conclude that the prosecution has adequately established their guilt.
Should Judge Whitaker deny the motion for a directed verdict, lawyers will likely engage in discussions regarding the necessary jury instructions for convicting Kendrick and Stillwell.
Jurors are set to reconvene on Thursday and may commence deliberations by the end of the week.
Young Thug, a 33-year-old Grammy Award-winning artist whose real name is Jeffery Williams, pleaded guilty to various charges, including those related to gang activity, drug possession, and firearm offenses in October. He was subsequently released on probation, which comes with stringent conditions, such as a ten-year prohibition from the metro Atlanta area, except for specific circumstances.
The trial has faced numerous challenges since its inception. Jury selection alone took almost 10 months, and Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville was removed from the case in July due to concerns raised by defense lawyers regarding a confidential meeting he held with prosecutors and a state witness.
Judge Whitaker subsequently took over the proceedings and frequently expressed dissatisfaction with the prosecution’s strategies, which she described as “poor lawyering.” Both she and defense attorneys criticized the prosecution for their failure to provide evidence promptly.
Throughout the trial, over 175 witnesses testified. Prosecutors have claimed that Young Thug and two others established a violent street gang known as Young Slime Life (YSL) in 2012, asserting its ties to the national Bloods gang. Notably, Young Thug’s lyrics have been cited as evidence.
During Young Thug’s plea hearing, his defense attorney, Brian Steel, condemned the use of his lyrics as evidence, asserting that Young Thug was “falsely accused.” Steel mentioned that he believed they were making headway in the trial but that Young Thug opted to return home to his family rather than endure what he described as “hell” at the trial’s proceedings.
Nine individuals implicated in the indictment, including popular Atlanta rapper Gunna, whose real name is Sergio Kitchens, accepted plea deals prior to the trial. Additionally, prosecutors chose to drop charges against one defendant following his conviction for murder in an unrelated matter.