juror

Young Thug & YSL RICO Trial Prosecutors Tracked Possible Juror For Weeks: Report

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The already slow-moving jury selection process in Young Thug and YSL’s RICO case changed in a pretty significant way this week. Moreover, Fulton County prosecutors- according to AllHipHop– reportedly admitted to following a potential juror in the trial for weeks. Specifically, they motioned for Judge Ural Glanville to dismiss the individual after weeks of surveillance on behalf of these attorneys, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Furthermore, their claims include that the male juror in question does not actually live in Fulton County, Georgia, but rather a Cobb County apartment, another Georgia area. For what it’s worth, he insisted that he lives mostly with his mother in Fulton County during jury selection procedures.

Of course, this surveillance process meant that the prosecution could counter these claims in the YSL RICO trial. As such, they alleged that the potential juror spent 28 out of 30 nights in his Cobb County apartment, and license plate readers claim he was never near his mother’s home when in Fulton County. According to these reports, the legal defense team expressed shock at the admission of this tracking. “I think it is improper,” Suri Chadha Jimenez, an attorney on the defense team, remarked to AJC. “It’s not right to do this to citizens who are not criminals. They’re surveilling people who are doing their civic duty by showing up to jury service. He did nothing wrong.”

Read More: Young Thug’s Candy Crush Addiction Keeping Him Sane In Jail, Mariah The Scientist Says

Young Thug Performing In 2021

Young Thug YSL RICO Trial Prosecutors Surveillance Juror Hip Hop News
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – NOVEMBER 17: Rapper Young Thug performs at halftime during the Boston Celtics v Atlanta Hawks game at State Farm Arena on November 17, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

Regardless of these qualms, prosecutors stood by their decision in the YSL case. For example, a Fulton County District Attorney explained that a juror outside of Fulton County would result in an overturned verdict. “As is permitted by law, we review public records of jurors to ensure they are eligible to serve on a jury, particularly in major cases,” they noted. “Our review of this juror’s public information indicates that he lives in Cobb County, making it illegal for him to serve on a Fulton County jury. A further review confirmed he is ineligible. At no time did anyone from the DA’s office have contact with the juror.”

Meanwhile, all this deliberation and extra steps to judge jurors did not result in a speedier selection. After all, Thugger still needs people on his jury for the trial to finally get in motion. Even then, it could be a very long process, so we’ll keep you posted on the latest updates in this case. For more news on Young Thug and YSL, come back to HNHH.

Read More: Young Thug’s First Felony Conviction Came From Current YSL Attorney

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YNW Melly Juror Calls Murder Case “A Really Bad Situation Of Being Framed”

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YNW Melly is currently behind bars awaiting his second murder trial. The 24-year-old is accused of killing two YNW associates, SakChaser and Juvy, back in 2018. His defense claims that the young men were killed as a result of a drive-by shooting, however, prosecutors believe he shot them from within the vehicle. If he’s convicted, he could be facing the death penalty. In July, jurors were unable to come to a unanimous decision as to whether or not he’s guilty, leading the judge to rule a mistrial.

Now, one of the jurors from the first trial has come forward, making some serious claims about the case. The anonymous juror has alleged that Melly was framed for double murder. “I believe that he didn’t do it and it wasn’t proved in court,” they explained. “This was a really bad situation of being framed.” The former juror further claims that “Melly was a very good person,” adding that he “always tried to help out people around him.”

Read More: YNW Melly Trial: Motion Filed Against Lead Detective Amid Excessive Force Investigation

Juror Says “Melly Was A Very Good Person”

At the beginning of last month, a former juror also said that jury manipulation is what led to the mistrial. They accused one woman on the jury of being “explosive and “manipulative,” further claiming that she’d go off on other jurors who didn’t share her same opinion. According to the juror, she was set on acquitting Melly. In August, the lead detective on Melly’s case, Detective M. Moretti, also had a motion filed against him for allegedly using “excessive force” on a witness.

Melly’s retrial is scheduled to begin in October. The rapper now only needs an 8-4 vote in order to give him the death penalty under Florida state law. In October, YNW Bortlen will also begin his own trial. He drove the victims to the hospital the evening of the shooting, and was also the only living person believed to have been with Melly at the time. According to Bryson “Boom” Paul, Melly will appear in court on September 15 to discuss his request for bond. Keep an eye on HNHH for more updates on YNW Melly.

Read More: Asian Doll And YNW Melly’s Mom Respond To Lul Tim’s King Von Charges Being Dropped

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The post YNW Melly Juror Calls Murder Case “A Really Bad Situation Of Being Framed” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

YNW Melly Trial: Sick Juror Replaced By Alternate

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Everyone in the fields of hip-hop culture and crime is keeping a close eye on the YNW Melly double murder trial. Moreover, small developments in the case could end up having big consequences, as the most recent events display in a seemingly small but crucial way. Furthermore, journalist Bryson “Boom” Paul reported that the court replaced a sick juror with an alternate individual on Thursday (June 22). As such, this could potentially impact the trial depending on whether or not the new juror will interpret the case in the same way that the original one would. Regardless, at least it was a potentially speed bump in the proceedings that the court was able to sidestep swiftly.

In addition, changes like these could also have big implications considering a recent decision on the integrity of the case. On Tuesday (June 20), Judge Murphy III denied YNW Melly’s defense team’s motion for a mistrial, and the case continued as planned. For those unaware, the rapper’s attorneys believed evidence presented by the state to be prejudicial and therefore improper. In other words, this evidence did not further the facts of the case, in the defense’s eyes, but rather placed a bias on their client that could unrightfully impact the verdict.

Read More: YNW Melly Achieves Small Victories In Trial Over Use Of Evidence

Ill Juror Gets Replacement In YNW Melly Case: Report

Still, there seems to be a lot to still go through in this trial, especially with the contention present regarding the mistrial. Since that decision, a few other updates from the courtroom proved interesting to the public- with one in particular being favorable for YNW Melly. During Wednesday’s proceedings (June 21), the court maintained that prosecutors committed a discovery violation. Apparently, as a result of not disclosing an additional forensics report, the court will now bar certain information from being brought forth as evidence.

Of course, it’s unclear whether said evidence would have acted in the Florida native’s favor at the end of the day. That being said, it being a part of the case built by the prosecution likely couldn’t have spelled out good news for him. With that in mind, stay logged into HNHH for the latest news, updates, and viral moments from the YNW Melly trial.

Read More: YNW Melly’s Murder Trial Stress Gave His Mother A Heart Attack, She Claims

The post YNW Melly Trial: Sick Juror Replaced By Alternate appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Young Thug Case: Potential Juror Jailed For Recording Trial

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The latest update in the Young Thug case, where several other YSL members face RICO charges, concerns the seemingly unending jury selection process. Moreover, it’s been months of consistent delays and lengthy court proceedings to pick the case’s jury. Of course, it’s quite the complicated and high-profile indictment, so it’s understandable while still being frustrating. However, given all the leaked information that emerged surrounding this case, Judge Glanville tried very hard to keep things within the courtroom. As such, he sentenced a potential juror to three days in jail for recording part of the trial proceedings.

Although it’s unclear whether the recording in question actually came out, such actions could greatly affect the process. For example, leak of an interrogation of a YSL affiliate put said member in danger, caused a wave of speculation online, and made a codefendant seek mistrial. Despite probes into these leaks, it’s hard to identify who is putting out what on the Internet and social media. Not only that, but Judge Glanville specifically told all potential jurors that they couldn’t record anything in these proceedings.

Young Thug Trial Recording Gets Potential Juror Jailed

Furthermore, the juror candidate in question faced accusations of live-streaming court proceedings on March 17. Reportedly, she claimed that she took a quick video and then promptly deleted it after a fellow potential juror told her she’s not supposed to do that. Moreover, she says that deputies confiscated her phone and found the vid in the “recently deleted” folder. She further explained that it was her first time being called as a juror. Thus, she didn’t know what was allowed and what wasn’t. However, Glanville pushed back on this, as he maintained that he made guidelines very clear.

Meanwhile, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the court summoned around 1,200 potential jurors for this case. Still, not one has been selected as of yet. Given this and other curious developments in the case, this process will likely take weeks or months to complete. In the meantime, fans hold out hope that this case can at least get going as fast as possible. With that in mind, stick around on HNHH for the latest on the YSL trial and Young Thug.

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YSL Judge Holds Potential Juror In Contempt For Contacting Reporter In Young Thug Trial

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Judge Glanvile of the YSL RICO case found a potential juror in contempt (in other words, disobeyed court orders) for reaching out to a reporter concerning the Young Thug trial. Moreover, the juror will now pay the price. Furthermore, Glanville ordered the juror to ten hours of community service concerning “behavior, choices, and consequences.” Also, the juror must attend the first five days of trial regardless of jury selection. In a clip shared to social media of the judge’s ruling, the juror said they take full responsibility for their actions.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – NOVEMBER 17: Rapper Young Thug performs at halftime during the Boston Celtics v Atlanta Hawks game at State Farm Arena on November 17, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

Furthermore, Glanville could’ve sentenced the juror to 20 days in jail for willful contempt. Instead, he opted for community service hours and trial sit-ins, which he believes will satisfy contempt. During the exchange, the judge reminded the potential jurors of the consequences their actions could bring. “This is how we have hiccups in trials and we have to sometimes start over,” he shared. “Because people don’t do what they’re supposed to do.” Overall, perhaps this juror’s actions will result in information leaks, another reversal of jury selection, or more dire consequences. After all, Jeffrey Williams and his YSL codefendants are on dangerously thin ice, and one small detail could mean disaster.

Of course, this isn’t the first time that Judge Glanville took issue with a juror’s irresponsibility. Some time ago, he ordered a juror to write a 30-page essay on the importance of jury duty. Moreover, it seems they handed in their report and the judge expressed satisfaction with it. Whereas he excused many jurors for various reasons, the court brought in yet another batch of potential jurors. With the trial expected to take a year or maybe more, these jury delays certainly don’t bode well.

Still, Thugger’s trial took shape in other ways this week. For example, he listed music industry executives Kevin Liles and Lyor Cohen as potential witnesses to the stand. Both share a close relationship with the “Check” MC, with Liles in particular penning a message of support recently. “The man I know is a loving father, great business partner and an inspiration to so many people around the world,” he wrote. “Stay strong my brother and you know where I stand…” Stay tuned to HNHH for the latest on the YSL case and Young Thug.

Tory Lanez Not Charged With Witness Intimidation, Court Says Juror 39 Rode With Him In An Elevator

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We’re hardly more than a week into Megan Thee Stallion and Tory Lanez’s trial. Already, though, the world is struggling to keep up with all the details pouring out of the courtroom. Seeing as this trial isn’t on full display like Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s was previously this year, we’ve had a much less intimate look at what’s been going on behind closed doors.

What we know so far is that the Houston native’s former BFF, Kelsey Harris, didn’t come through. Prior to her time on the stand the prosecution said she would confirm that she was a witness to Lanez shooting her friend. Her testimony was instead full of forgetful moments, which have some (including Keri Hilson) speculating that she may be a victim of bribery.

In fact, the “Big Ole Freak” rapper’s own attorney, Alex Spiro, made claims that the “Bussin Back” artist looks to have been compromised. As a result of her spotty memory, the prosecution was able to play Harris’ previous interview. In that, she plainly says that the Canadian fired the weapon at her friend.

The discrepancies in Kelsey’s recent testimony and her old story have been undeniably raising eyebrows. So much so, in fact, that Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Kathy Ta motioned to include two new charges of witness tampering on top of Lanez’s existing charges, according to Rolling Stone.

Specifically, she cited allegations that the “Say It” singer offered Thee Stallion and Harris a “$1 million bride” to keep quiet. Additionally, she mentioned California Penal Code 136.1 – a rule that makes dissuading a witness a crime.

Tory Lanez attends Rolling Stone Live Big Game Experience at Academy LA on February 13, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for MCM)

Ta told the court, “It’s based on testimony by both the victim and Ms. (Kelsey) Harris [about] statements the defendant made in the car, offering them a million dollar.”

Seeing as the 27-year-old brought up the hush money earlier in the proceedings, Judge David Herriford had some questions. The DA shared that she wasn’t sure what Kelsey’s testimony would be. However, when the recording artist’s former friend was in agreeance with the claims, a filing decision was made.

Lanez’s lawyer, George Mgdesyan was quick to object. Furthermore, he argued that prosecutors have known what Harris would say since as early as September.

Ultimately, Judge Herriford sided with the father of one’s defence, rejecting the additional charges. “I think it’s unfair at this juncture, so I would deny that motion,” he said. He also noted that Tory’s team would be in a “difficult position” putting together a proper response on such short notice.

That’s not the only drama that’s been unfolding in the courtroom so far this week. On Monday (December 19), it was revealed that a female jury member was seen riding in an elevator with Lanez and his legal representatives.

Those live-tweeting from the courtroom say that the woman is known as Juror No. 39. “A younger light-skinned Black woman with braided hair. [Her] style of dress that included pink cheetah print pants last week. [She] was asked to stay behind, then she went back into chambers to talk to Judge Herriford,” Law and Crime‘s Meghann Cuniff wrote.

At this time, it remains unknown if there’s cause to remove the juror. It was additionally noted that she somehow knows Lanez “through Instagram.” However, she insists she can be “fair” because she “generally isn’t on social media.”

Reports say that Juror No. 39 was spotted with Tory on both Friday and Monday. During the latter, reporter James Queally was also on board. “I did not see them talking or hear any discussion of the case,” he confirmed.

As for Thee Stallion’s side of things, yesterday the court heard her former stylist’s testimony. Read all about that here, and check back later for any more updates.

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