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YSL Judge Apologizes After Saying The N-Word During Trial

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Although Young Thug is a free man, the YSL RICO trial rages on with two remaining codefendants. However, the court faced an unexpected controversy that its leading public servant quickly sought to rectify. During session, Judge Paige Reese Whitaker spoke on how they were reading a lot of Instagram conversations related to the case before breaking for lunch, and how she accidentally uttered the n-word aloud while reading these conversations, as the word was written in these exchanges. She apologized for saying the word out loud and expressed that this was the first time that she read these conversations and thus went through them quickly.

“I hope that that was not offensive to anyone,” the judge in the YSL case expressed. “It was certainly not meant to be offensive to anyone. I do not use that word. And it was merely – I should have been looking first before I said whatever I said out loud to edit if there were, you know, any offensive words. So I want to apologize on the record for that.” Then, Judge Paige Reese Whitaker explained that she did not listen to a set of songs that the court would be discussing because no one sent her the songs they might be litigating. She also indicated that the court would listen to these tracks during session.

Read More: Young Thug Fans Suspect Cop Allegedly Wore His Missing $1.7M Watch To Court

YSL Judge Apologizes For Reading The N-Word Out Loud

As you are probably already aware, this small bump means nothing in the larger YSL case, which faced many more worrisome controversies. In fact, a juror vowed to oppose the prosecution due to the sheer length of this trial, which is the longest criminal proceeding in Georgia state history according to various reports. While some folks online blasted this mistake by the judge, others chose to focus on more pressing matters.

Meanwhile, Young Thug continues to lay relatively low after his release from prison, although everyone wants to know what he will do next. We only saw him link up with T.I. and call his lawyer Brian Steel via FaceTime for an event with Emory University law students, plus some teased collabs here and there. But we should all respect Thugger’s right to privacy and to process his personal experience in a patient, supportive, and empathetic manner, especially as the YSL RICO trial continues to develop.

Read More: Young Thug & His Lawyer Brian Steel Speak To Emory University Law Students

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YSL Juror Vows To Be Biased Against The Prosecution

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A juror in the YSL RICO case emailed Judge Paige Reese Whitaker admitting that they plan to be biased against the State no matter what happens because they’re so angry with how long the case is taking. They made the proclamation while requesting to be removed from the historically lengthy trial. “I can no longer be unbiased towards any decisions moving forward,” they wrote. From there, they projected that the case could go on for another three to six months based on how the state has been presenting its evidence.

Whitaker read the email aloud in full to the courtroom, this week. Despite the juror claiming to be biased, Whitaker decided not to remove them from the trial and blamed the state for turning the person against them. They said that they’d try to finish the case by the end of the year.

Read More: Young Thug Trial Officially On “Mistrial Watch” As Judge Whitaker Takes A Stand

Brian Steel, attorney for rapper Young Thug, right, arrives at the Fulton. County Courthouse on November 27, 2023, in Atlanta, Georgia. Opening statements are set to begin in the case against 31-year-old US rapper Young Thug and 28 others, who are facing a racketeering indictment accusing the defendants of a number of offenses that support an overarching conspiracy charge, including murder, assault, carjacking, drug dealing, and theft. (Photo by Christian MONTERROSA / AFP) (Photo by CHRISTIAN MONTERROSA/AFP via Getty Images)

The update comes after Young Thug accepted a plea deal to get out of jail, last week. “I take responsibility for my crimes, for my charges,” Thug said in court. “I want to say sorry to my family, my mom, my mom’s got 11 kids, I can’t say all their names, my managers, my kids.” He went on to refer to himself as a “good guy,” adding: “I find myself in a lot of stuff because I was just nice or cool, and I understand that you can’t be that way when you reach a certain height because it could end bad.”

YSL Jurors Are Getting Tired Of The Trial

Check out the moment Judge Whitaker read the juror’s email aloud in court. Since his release from prison, Thug’s linked up with T.I. and also teased having new music on the way. Be on the lookout for further updates on the YSL RICO trial on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: Lil Baby Responds To Young Thug With Heartfelt Message Amid Possible Gunna Shade

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Diddy’s Lawyers Demand Response To Gag Order Request As Alleged Witnesses Continue To Speak Out

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Diddy’s attorneys, Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos, said in a letter on Sunday that there has been a “deluge of improper pretrial publicity” and once again asked the judge presiding over the Bad Boy mogul’s ongoing criminal case to order potential alleged witnesses to stop speaking with the media. As caught by ABC News, they wrote that the alleged victims are “undermining Mr. Combs’ right to a fair trial and the integrity of the grand jury proceedings.”

“These stories have spread rapidly through the media and created the impression that such videos exist, which is false, and that the government is actually crediting his sensational claims, which is profoundly prejudicial,” the letter said. Prosecutors have previously countered the defense’s point, arguing that plaintiffs in civil litigation can’t be impacted by this court. As also noted by ABC News, Diddy’s team has fired back: “It makes little sense that civil litigants seeking to capitalize on the criminal allegations against Mr. Combs can nonetheless claim that they are not involved in the criminal proceedings.”

Read More: Diddy Allegedly Required Celebrities To Sign NDAs For “Freak Off” Parties

Marc Agnifilo Leaves The Courthouse After Diddy’s Arrest

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 17: Lawyer for Sean Combs, Marc Agnifilo, leaves U.S. District Court on September 17, 2024, in New York City. Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested in Manhattan on September. 16 in a sex trafficking probe following a federal indictment. (Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images)

As noted by TMZ, the latest update comes after one witness, Courtney Burgess, spoke publically several times in recent days. On Thursday, he discussed the allegations surrounding Diddy during an interview with NewsNation’s Banfield. Burgess alleged that he was once given 11 flash drives containing at least eight sex tapes involving eight celebrities. He further alleged that “two to three” of the alleged victims were minors. He had testified in front of a grand jury in the Southern District of New York, earlier in the day.

Authorities arrested Diddy on charges of alleged sex trafficking and racketeering, back in September. He’s already pleaded not guilty and denied all of the allegations he’s faced over the last year. Be on the lookout for further updates on Diddy on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: Diddy Prosecutors Accuse Mogul Of “Hijacking” Criminal Case To Quell Civil Lawsuits

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Young Thug Trial: Judge Trolls Prosecution In YSL RICO Trial Over “Chasing That Money” Caption

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Judge Paige Whitaker didn’t agree with the prosecution’s interpretation of a social media caption about “chasing that money,” during the latest hearing in the YSL RICO trial. She had been sorting through various evidentiary issues in the case when discussing the Instagram post. A clip of the moment shared by legal journalist Meghann Cuniff is going viral on social media. “What suggests that he is doing anything illegal by chasing that money?” Whitaker asked. “Isn’t that what pretty much all of us who aren’t independently wealthy have to do every day of our lives?”

The prosecution responded: “I am not saying with certainty that this is what he is saying. What I’m saying is that it is evidence that tends to or has a tendency to make a portion of assertions or our allegations in the indictment true to the extent that it is relevant that he made or said that made that statement on that posting. He is representing YSL.”

Read More: Mariah The Scientist Reveals “Devastating” Reason She Couldn’t Visit Young Thug On Their Anniversary

Young Thug’s Attorney Arrives At Fulton County Courthouse

Brian Steel, attorney for rapper Young Thug, arrives at the Fulton County Courthouse on November 27, 2023, in Atlanta, Georgia. Opening statements are set to begin in the case against 31-year-old US rapper Young Thug and 28 others, who are facing a racketeering indictment accusing the defendants of a number of offenses that support an overarching conspiracy charge, including murder, assault, carjacking, drug dealing, and theft. (Photo by Christian Monterrosa / AFP) (Photo by CHRISTIAN MONTERROSA/AFP via Getty Images)

“How is the language representing YSL?” the judge then asked before adding, “It really doesn’t seem to say that.” Fans on X (formerly Twitter) shared plenty of laughs in response to the moment. “She said we ain’t all wealthy as all gotta chase the money,” one user replied to Cuniff. Another wrote: “She’s over this case like everyone else is.”

Judge Whitaker Goes Back & Forth With Prosecution

Check out the full interaction from the latest hearing in the YSL RICO case below. It comes after Thug and Mariah The Scientist attempted to celebrate their third anniversary, earlier this week. Be on the lookout for further updates on Young Thug and the YSL RICO trial on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: Young Thug RICO Trial Sets New Record After Judge Denies Motion For Mistrial

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Tyrese Says Judge Involved With Arrest Over Child Support Debacle “Hates My Guts”

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On Monday, September 9, actor and singer Tyrese was arrested for being “in willful contempt for failure to make child support payments”. The judge, as well as his ex-wife, Samantha Lee, were commanding exactly $10,690 and “illegally” so in his eyes. The money is supposed to being going to their five-year-old daughter Soraya. Tyrese has repeated time and time again that he wants to be a father to his kids; however, he feels this entire battle in court has been one-sided. According to Bossip, he feels that a lot of this falls on the judge that was overseeing this case.

Tyrese went after Kevin M Farmer in his Instagram post two days ago just moments before his Atlanta court appearance Monday morning. Now, he’s continuing to call out Mr. Farmer after the arrest on X. “Getting arrested wasn’t fun as a matter of fact it was very traumatic…. One would ask why does this judge Kevin M Farmer HATE me so much? Well attached is his nightmare details of the APPEAL!”. In the tweet below there’s a link to the pdf file of the appellants 20-page reply brief if you care to check it out.

Read More: Kendrick Lamar Warned Drake Before Dropping Diss Tracks, Joe Budden Claims

Tyrese Gets Emotional While Ranting About Judge

Tyrese may have just been accusing the judge of something that may or may not be true, but Mr. Farmer may have been making his case for him. In addition to the arrest, Tyrese was ordered to pay a healthy figure to be released from jail. $73,500 was ordered to be paid to the Fulton County officials. However, his attorney, Tanya Mitchell Graham, filed an appeal of Mr. Farmer’s ruling. He is currently not in custody as of Monday.

What are your thoughts on Tyrese claiming that the judge involved with the child support battle was against him? Do you think all of this was handled poorly from a legal standpoint? Overall, what’s your current opinion on the actor during all of this drama? We would like to hear what you have to say, so leave your thoughts in the comments. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Tyrese. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the pop culture world.

Read More: Caitlin Clark May Have Just Backed Kamala Harris After Taylor Swift Endorsement

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Young Thug Trial: New Judge Denies His Latest Attempt At Bond

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Young Thug’s latest motion to get bond has been denied by the YSL RICO trial’s new judge, Paige Reese Whitaker. His attorneys outlined the reasons he should have the opportunity in a motion they presented, last week. Responding to the motion, Whitaker said in court: “I am not going to reconsider any bond issues that have already been ruled on absent legitimate changed circumstances,” as caught by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

In response, Thug’s lawyer, Brian Steele, claimed that the conditions the rapper is facing behind bars warrant his bond. “Those are not the kinds of changed circumstances that speak to the Ayala factors. So I’m not going to reconsider the bond,” Whitaker argued back. In the original motion, Thug’s legal team put forth several arguments as to why he should get out on bond. They included the fact that he’s not a flight risk and is also innocent until proven guilty.

Read More: Young Thug Attempts To Get Bond From New Judge In YSL RICO Case

Young Thug’s Attorney’s Arrive At Fulton County Courthouse

Brian Steel, attorney for rapper Young Thug, right, arrives at the Fulton. County Courthouse on November 27, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. Opening statements will begin in the case against 31-year-old US rapper Young. Thug and 28 others, who are facing a racketeering indictment accusing the defendants of a number of offenses that support an overarching conspiracy charge, including murder, assault, carjacking, drug dealing, and theft. (Photo by Christian MONTERROSA / AFP) (Photo by CHRISTIAN MONTERROSA/AFP via Getty Images)

“In the Great State of Georgia, unlike other States, for purposes of pretrial bond analysis, the presumption of innocence remains with the person accused of an offense, even a capital offense, from arrest and even during trial…” the motion read. “That means, prior to and during trial, Courts view the criminally accused to be innocent of the charges waged against him/her. It has been written that the most fundamental premise of our criminal justice system is that the criminally accused cannot be punished for an offense until the prosecution proves guilt beyond a reasonable doubt… Thus, the granting of a reasonable pretrial bond must be preserved. Otherwise, the presumption of innocence, secured only after centuries of struggle, would lose its meaning.”

Whitaker took over the case after the recusal of Judge Ural Glanville last month. Be on the lookout for further updates on Young Thug on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: Young Thug Trial: Lil Woody Takes Jail Time Over Testifying

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50 Cent Advocates For Removal Of New York Judge After Troubling Video Surfaces Online

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50 Cent joined the calls to remove New York State Supreme Court Justice Erin Gall from her position. Earlier this week, police bodycam footage of the incident was released following an investigation. The video shows Gall telling Black teenagers to leave a high school graduation party following a confrontation over uninvited guests. 

She tells them, “You’re not going to find your keys. You got to call an Uber and get off the property.” Gall added, “You’re going to get a cop escort home.” Gall also tried to get the police to arrest the Black teenagers for trespassing. “I’ve done this for a million years,” she said. “I’m a lawyer. I’m a judge. I know this.” She also adds that if the teens returned for their keys, “you can shoot them on the property. I’ll shoot them on the property,” a message for the police officers in the video.

50 Cent Advocates For Removal Of Judge

The judge’s behavior outraged 50 Cent. On Wednesday, he took to Instagram with a new report featuring body-cam footage of the incident. “SMH, she should be removed. This is bad. Repost this video.” 50 wasn’t the only person left outraged. The State Commission on Judicial Conduct issued its report detailing their investigation of this incident on Monday. The report recommended Gall’s dismissal and found that she “created at least the appearance that she harbored racial bias,” during the July 2022 incident. Moreover, the panel also said Gall “repeatedly invoked her judicial office,” in her repeated attempts to have the Black teenage partygoers arrested.  

“Her wide array of misconduct severely undermined public confidence in the judiciary and in her ability to serve as a fair and impartial judge,” the commission added in their report. ” [Erin Gall’s behavior] was as shocking as anything I have seen in my 40 years of judicial ethics enforcement,” said Robert H. Tembeckjian, the commission’s administrator. Gall’s attorney, Robert Julian, plans to challenge the ruling, according to CBS News. Gall is currently on paid suspension, having been unable to serve in her day job since the investigation began. It is unlikely that she’ll work in law again anytime soon.

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Young Thug & YSL’s New Judge Suggests Trial Might Delay Until August

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The Young Thug and YSL RICO trial just underwent a massive overhaul, so it seems like it might need some time to fully get back into the swing of things. Moreover, the new judge in this case, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker, reportedly organized an attorney-only hearing to do a progress check and outline what guidelines the court should follow moving forward. “I want to be moving forward efficiently and expeditiously,” Judge Whitaker allegedly told the legal teams (per Rolling Stone), and also admitted to “parachuting in” with little prior knowledge of this specific trial and case.

However, one of the most important alleged points that this meeting discussed was Judge Whitaker’s suggestion that the Young Thug trial might see another delay. According to these reports, she indicated that the jury might have to return to court sometime in August, presumably due to this change in judges throwing a huge wrench into the whole process. For those unaware, the court recused the original judge in the YSL case, Judge Glanville, for his poor handling of a controversial ex-parte meeting.

Read More: Young Thug Trial Is A “Dumpster Fire” According To Georgia’s Former Judicial Chair

Young Thug At The 2021 BET Hip-Hop Awards

Young Thug Trial New Judge Delay August Hip Hop News
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – OCTOBER 01: Young Thug attends the 2021 BET Hip Hop Awards at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center on October 01, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Derek White/WireImage/Getty Images)

Then, Young Thug and YSL’s trial found a new judge quick in Judge Shukura Ingram, who took over within hours of Glanville’s exit. But the court saw yet another wild update and earth-shattering development when Judge Ingram recused herself from the trial barely a day after she emerged as its new overseeing authority. This was because of her previous court affiliation with one of the co-defendants in the YSL case, which could’ve presented more issues of conflicts of interest. Fortunately, it seems like Judge Whitaker is here to stay for now, and we’ll have to wait for August to see more signifiant updates.

“Jeffery Williams is innocent of the charges brought in this indictment,” Young Thug’s lawyer Brian Steel stated in relation to these judicial changes. “To clear his name he sought a speedy trial, one in which he would receive the constitutional guarantees of a fair trial with an impartial judge presiding and ethical prosecutors following the law. Sadly, Judge Glanville and the prosecutors have run afoul of their duties under of [sic] the law. Mr. Williams is grateful that the reviewing court agreed with him and entered the order recusing and disqualifying Judge Glanville from presiding over Mr. Williams’ case. We look forward to proceeding with a trial judge who will fairly and faithfully follow the law.”

Read More: Young Thug’s Kids Threaten To Wack Gunna In Scathing New Diss Song

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Young Thug & YSL Trial’s New Judge Outlines Updated Courtroom Guidelines

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The Young Thug and YSL RICO trial went through three judges in as many days, with Judge Paige Reese Whitaker now overseeing the case’s proceedings. Moreover, she recently issued a new list of courtroom guidelines for the defense, the prosecution, and all other participants to follow. These include a timely 8:45AM start time for court days with no exceptions (as long as all defendants have a lawyer present), no more eating in court barring an extended day working through meal times, and no more extensive wardrobe. Also, Judge Whitaker wants to minimize disruptions in court, ban defendants from using headphones during the trial, and leave no gaps between witnesses, indicating that the State needs to introduce their next witness immediately.

“Jeffery Williams is innocent of the charges brought in this indictment,” Young Thug’s attorney Brian Steel stated regarding the original judge for this case, Judge Glanville, being recused. “To clear his name he sought a speedy trial, one in which he would receive the constitutional guarantees of a fair trial with an impartial judge presiding and ethical prosecutors following the law. Sadly, Judge Glanville and the prosecutors have run afoul of their duties under of [sic] the law. Mr. Williams is grateful that the reviewing court agreed with him and entered the order recusing and disqualifying Judge Glanville from presiding over Mr. Williams’ case. We look forward to proceeding with a trial judge who will fairly and faithfully follow the law.”

Read More: Young Thug’s Kids Threaten To Wack Gunna In Scathing New Diss Song

Young Thug’s New Judge Brings A New Set Of Rules

Elsewhere, this is what the judge between Glanville and Whitaker in this case, Judge Shukura Ingram, had to say about recusing herself from the trial almost immediately after the court assigned her to it. “Because this Court’s former assigned deputy could be called as a witness in any future proceedings in this case, the Court may be called upon to assess this deputy’s credibility, or rule on matters related to her criminal prosecution,” she wrote in a filing. “This may undermine the public’s confidence in the impartiality of the proceedings. While the Court does not regard the aforementioned situation as creating any actual bias for or against any party to this case, the Court does view this as a matter that could cause a reasonable person to question the Court’s impartiality and reasonably give rise to the appearance.”

Meanwhile, other folks already spoke on their negative assessment of how the trial progressed, including a former Georgia judicial chair. This Young Thug and YSL RICO case turned ugly years ago at this point, and now we must wait to see if this new era will prove more clear or effective. Still, this is just a speculative anticipation, and the next days of the trial will be a crucial indication of the future. Let’s hope things become more easy to understand, develop, and identify as fact or fiction in this trial.

Read More: Young Thug & YSL RICO Trial: Lawyer At Judge’s Ex-Parte Meeting Finally Divulges On It

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Young Thug Trial: Another New Judge Assigned To RICO Case After Two Recusals

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Earlier this month, Young Thug’s ongoing RICO trial took yet another turn when Judge Ural Glanville was recused from the case. The recusal came after the rapper’s lawyer Brian Steel filed a motion for it, citing a controversial ex-parte meeting between Glanville, the prosecution, and star witness Kenneth Copeland.

Almost immediately, a new judge was appointed to the case. Judge Shukura L. Ingram didn’t last long, however, as she recused herself only a couple of days later. In a filing, she explained that her deputy previously engaged in an inappropriate relationship with Young Thug’s co-defendant Big Bhris, and allegedly tried to sneak contraband into jail for him. She said this could call “the Court’s impartiality” into question. Again, Young Thug was left waiting for another judge to be appointed.

Read More: Young Thug Trial: New Judge Quickly Recuses Herself From The Case

Judge Paige Reese Whitaker To Oversee Young Thug’s Trial

Fortunately, it was a fairly quick process, as Judge Paige Reese Whitaker has now taken over the case. Reportedly, she’s a former Fulton County prosecutor and previously worked at the state Attorney General’s Office. She’s been a Fulton County judge since 2017. It’s to be seen whether or not Young Thug will have better luck this time around, though he’s surely growing tired of the ongoing trial. It’s been in motion since November of last year, and still shows no signs of coming to an end. Proceedings were put on hold while Steel’s recusal motion was under review, meaning even more delays for the incarcerated rapper.

Regardless, he and Steel appear to be relieved by this latest development. After Glanville’s recusal, he issued a powerful statement about the case, emphasizing the fact that his client is seeking a “speedy” and “fair” trial, complete with an “impartial” judge. What do you think of another new judge getting assigned to Young Thug’s RICO case? Do you think he’ll have better luck this time around? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

Read More: Young Thug’s Lawyer Delivers Strong Statement Following Judge Glanville’s Recusal

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