YSL case moves ahead after Young Thug's guilty plea
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The Fulton County courthouse. Photo: Christian Monterrosa/AFP via Getty Images
The sudden rush of plea deals in Fulton County's Young Slime Life racketeering case wasn't a surprise to those who were closely watching the court proceedings play out in real time.
Why it matters: While the trial's chief co-defendant, rapper Young Thug, has resolved his part in the RICO case, the district attorney's office is pressing ahead with the remaining 14 defendants in Georgia's longest-running trial.
Catch up quick: Last Thursday, Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, was sentenced to time served and 15 years on probation after pleading guilty to participating in criminal street gang activity, possession of drugs and other charges.
- Three other co-defendants Rodalius Ryan, Marquavius Huey and Quamarvious Nichols, accepted plea deals earlier last week.
What they're saying: Jewel Wicker, a freelance journalist who covers Atlanta's music and culture scene, told Axios that the state began to look at its options when Judge Paige Reese Whitaker said last month she was considering declaring a mistrial after a prosecutorial mistake.
- "There was just a level of unpreparedness that was really confusing and bewildering to me," she said.
The other side: The District Attorney's Office said in a statement that the convictions in the case "represent accountability," and the remaining defendants have charges that have yet to be resolved, like murder, racketeering and others.
- "We are still in the middle of the process of reaching verdicts on those charges, and will continue to work to bring justice in those cases."
The intrigue: Fulton County's case was complex from the start because Georgia's RICO statute gives prosecutors a "boundless range of things" to make its case, including constitutionally protected activity like rap lyrics, said Andrew Fleischman, a defense attorney who is not involved in the case.
- "The advantage for the state, in theory, [is] they could bring everything in, and the disadvantage is their lack of a coherent case view," he said.
- Wicker told Axios that RICO cases also take up lot of time and manpower.
Yes, but: Charlie Bailey, a former Fulton County gang prosecutor who ran for lieutenant governor as a Democrat in 2022, told Axios that the RICO law was created to catch leaders of criminal organizations who weren't doing the dirty work.
The big picture: The YSL case not only stood out for Young Thug's celebrity, or because it's the longest trial in the state's history, but also due to the newsworthy events that unfolded as proceedings dragged along.
- Defendants were accused of having drugs in court; a Fulton County jailer was accused of taking bribes from a defendant's family; a defendant was stabbed while in jail; and at one point Williams' defense attorney, Brian Steel, being held in contempt of court.
- That's not to mention eccentric witnesses like Kenneth "Lil' Woody" Copeland who kept everyone on their toes.
What we're watching: Fleischman told Axios the state should rewrite its RICO law to match the federal statue, which imposes time constraints on what activity can be considered as part of the prosecution's case.
- Wicker said she's really interested to see how the case will affect the city's music scene which "has endured a lot of loss in the past few years," with the deaths of Take Off of Atlanta-based Migos, and Young Dolph, who had Atlanta ties. Young Thug is not allowed in metro Atlanta for the first 10 years of his probation, save for a few exceptions.
- "It's not as though Atlanta is gaining back this rap icon who really did so much for the 2010 music scene here in Atlanta," she said.