ysl rico Archives - Page 7 of 16

Young Thug’s Mistrial Motion Denied During Chaotic First Day Of Trial

November 27, 2023 by newhiphopnews

After months of jury selection and more than a year and a half behind bars, Young Thug’s YSL RICO trial finally began earlier today. The trial is streaming online and thousands of fans are tuning in to follow the twists and turns as the rap star’s fate is decided. Before opening statements could even get underway today, however, there was already drama.

Thug’s attorney Brian Steel accused the prosecution of intentional misconduct after they failed to provide the defense with the text slides in their opening statement. The judge was forced to excuse the jurors from the courtroom while the situation was sorted out. While the judge did chastise the prosecution for not turning over all of their slides he ultimately declined Steel’s move for a mistrial. The judge clearly wasn’t happy with either the prosecution or the defense for delays in the trial. Check out the most recent updates in the Young Thug case as they happen below.

Young Thug’s Trial Off To A Rocky Start

Even though the trial itself just started today, there’s already been months of drama for fans to sift through. A few weeks ago the judge officially ruled that lyrics from various Young Thug songs will be allowed as evidence in the trial. The decision was largely unpopular with fans and fellow rappers. Subsequently many, like Meek Mill and Killer Mike spoke out against it. Rap lyrics being used in trials has been a hot topic for years. Some states are even moving to pass laws forbidding them from being used as evidence. Unfortunately for Thug, they’re allowed in Georgia where he’s on trial.

There was also more friction between lawyers and judges during the pre-trial process. The judge in the case had to administer a warning to Thug’s lawyer. It came after he called one particular witness evaluation a “farce.” It was just one of many issues the judge had with lawyers leading up to the trial. What do you think of interruptions already taking place in the YSL RICO trial even on the very first day? Let us know in the comment section below.

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Young Thug Requests Mistrial In YSL RICO Case

November 27, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Day one of the Young Thug and YSL RICO trial already got off to a pretty wild and contentious start. Moreover, during the prosecution’s opening statements, in which they presented some PowerPoint slides, Thug’s attorney Brian Steele interrupted- which reporter Meghan Cuniff noted is bizarre for legal proceedings- and called for a mistrial in this case. This is due to his claim that the information in these slides wasn’t disclosed, and the defense lawyer said that these revelations were barred in court. All this is according to Cuniff, who added that the District Attorney’s team acknowledged that they messed up by proposing a curative jury instruction. Of course, they still objected to a mistrial motion.

Furthermore, Cuniff also quoted a prosecutor in the Young Thug trial whose inflammatory take provided objection. “‘What you will not hear any evidence of is that the defendants were not involved in a criminal street gang,’” she wrote. “Unreal burden shifting from a prosecutor here. Stunning that she said this and seemed surprised when there was an objection. ‘If that’s the case, then she’s just lying to the court.’” It’s unclear who the journalist quoted with that last sentence, but we can assume it’s the defense’s opposition to the prosecutor.

Young Thug’s Lawyer Brian Steele Keeps Pushing For Mistrial: See Updates

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However, this isn’t a win on either side, as the court denied previous motions to dismiss this case and no one is any happier with what prosecutors have been doing. As such, it’s harder than ever to tell what will happen with this case moving forward, which is ironic considering that it’s finally underway after so long. What’s most worrisome about these developments, though, is how they obfuscate what Young Thug and YSL’s tru culpability is in all this. With so many differing procedures, contested approaches, and lack of informational organization, it’s clear that both sides are struggling to reckon with the breadth, scope, and visibility of this case.

Regardless, this rocky start to this RICO trial prompted many to look back at what happened with Thugger and YSL up until this point. There’s a lot to sum up and consider, without even accounting for the details and developments that didn’t make it to the media cycle. Nevertheless, hopefully this trial aims to concern itself with the evidence and the arguments at hand in a clear, fair, equitable, and effective way for the sake of all those involved. On that note, stay up to date on HNHH for the latest news and updates on Young Thug and the YSL RICO trial.

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Mariah The Scientist Sports A Suit And Tie To Day One Of Young Thug’s Trial

November 27, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Nobody can claim that Mariah The Scientist doesn’t stick by her man. Her commitment to Young Thug hasn’t wavered a bit since he was arrested all the way back in May of last year. Now after all the time he’s spent in police custody and months of jury selection, his trial finally got underway today. Opening statements began this morning and Thug was unsurprisingly present in court. But Mariah was also in attendance.

She took to her Instagram story to share a sneak peek at her attire for day one of the trial with fans. She’s sporting a sleek black suit and tie combo that had fans comparing her to Janelle Monae. But it was her white undershirt that many fans honed in on. They took to the comments to crack jokes about Mariah wearing a YSL-branded shirt to the trial of a gang that’s also called YSL, even though they’re different YSLs. “Wearing a YSL shirt to a Rico case for YSL is crazy,” and “Wearing that name brand don’t really help the case” two fans joke. Check out her story posts in the comment section below.

Mariah The Scientist At Young Thug’s Trial

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Even before the trial began there was already tension between the parties involved. Reports earlier in the month claimed that the prosecutions methodology for turning in evidence was upsetting the judge overseeing the case. Later on he had a tense moment with Young Thug’s lawyer. It happened after the lawyer called one particular witness evaluation a farce. The judge instructed him not to describe the trial in those terms again.

Fans and fellow rappers are divided on whether they believe Young Thug can beat his case. Many fans online are taking a more pessimistic approach. But rappers like Meek Mill have looked at the messiness of the trial and decided that it actually favors Thugger. What do you think of Mariah The Scientist’s courtroom attire for day one of Young Thug’s trial? Let us know in the comment section below.

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Young Thug Appears In Court For Opening Arguments In YSL RICO Trial

November 27, 2023 by newhiphopnews

After an incredibly long wait, it’s officially day 1 in Young Thug’s YSL RICO trial. The rapper has been in police custody for over a year and a half awaiting trial since the sweeping arrest of more than two dozen YSL affiliates shocked the rap world last year. Earlier this month, the exhaustive jury selection process finally came to a close and the trial was officially scheduled to get underway today. Thugger is one of just 6 remaining defendants left in the indictment after others took plea deals to avoid trial or were tried separately.

Earlier today, opening statements in the case began. That meant that the newest images of Young Thug in court hit the internet a fans had a chance to react to the start of the trial. While hundreds are still calling for his release, there are many who doubt his chances to beat the case against him. The massive indictment suggests that Thug was the de-facto leader of a gang, which the prosecution alleges was also called YSL just like his music label. Unsurprisingly, Thugger has denied all charges. Check out a new photo of the rapper on day one of his trial below.

Young Thug’s Trial Officially Underway

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Earlier this month, the judge in the case made a controversial ruling. Lyrics from various Young Thug songs will be allowed to be entered as evidence in the trial. Debates over whether or not rap lyrics should be allowed in court have raged for years. Some states even passed laws to ensure that they aren’t admissible. The hip-hop world reacted with loud objections when the ruling was made public earlier this month. Artists like Killer Mike and Meek Mill came to Thug’s defense and spoke out about using rap lyrics in court.

Earlier this year, Young Thug released his new album Business Is Business. The project was largely assembled from already existing material recorded prior to his arrest. What do you think of Young Thug in court for the first day of his YSL RICO trial? Let us know in the comment section below.

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YSL RICO: Young Thug & Co-Defendants Begin Trial With Opening Statements In Georgia

November 27, 2023 by newhiphopnews

It’s been a long 567 days for Young Thug, who’s spent the majority of that year and a half behind bars awaiting the start of his YSL RICO trial. The hunt for a jury officially began in January. However, due to the rapper’s popularity and the large number of co-defendants, it took a minute to find a group of individuals qualified to determine Thugger’s fate. Today (November 27), the Atlanta native is finally back in court as opening statements begin.

As Pitchfork notes, prosecutors allege that the So Much Fun artist’s YSL (Young Stoner Life) label is also the criminal gang Young Slime Life. Thug – born Jeffrey Williams – was taken into police custody on a massive 56-count indictment last May, pinning crimes on him like murder, assault, robbery, theft, illegal gun possession, and illegal drug possession and sales in the Cleveland Avenue neighbourhood for over a decade.

Young Thug Back in Court as YSL RICO Proceedings Finally Begin

One of the most controversial aspects of the YSL trial is that song lyrics will appear as evidence. In a recently leaked interrogation audio, Thugger laughs at the detective’s questions about him, Lil Wayne, and Birdman being a part of the Bloods, calling their references to gang activity in music, “entertainment.” Luckily for hip-hop heads, everything unfolding in the courtroom today and beyond will be streaming live on Law & Crime‘s YouTube channel, and we’ll be sure to provide you with regular updates as well.

Ahead of today’s highly anticipated court date, social media has been reflecting on the wild rollercoaster that the YSL RICO trial has been before even officially starting. From Lil Keed’s untimely death in the weeks following his labelmate’s arrest to nine people taking plea deals, we could’ve never predicted things would turn out this way for Young Thug and his co-defendants. Read more about that at the link below. Let us know if you think Jeffrey Williams will be coming home when court concludes in the comments.

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Young Thug RICO Trial Start Date Has Social Media Reflecting On YSL Case So Far

November 25, 2023 by newhiphopnews

With Young Thug’s trial set to start Monday, social media has taken a moment to reflect on everything that has happened since Young Thug was arrested over 17 months ago. The X account ThuggerDaily posted a long list of every wild thing that has happened. While the full tweet is posted below, highlights include Donald Trump accusing Fani Willis of sleeping with YSL Mondo, one defendant was found to be in a relationship with his jail guard, and someone hacking the courtroom screens to play porn.

However, after nearly a year of jury selection, Thug’s trial will start on Monday. After over 20 indictments, just six men will go to trial, Thug included. Despite this, there was still plenty of drama to go around. Thug’s lawyer was formally warned by the judge. The attorney was heard calling one of the prosecution’s pre-trial witnesses a “farce”. Similarly, Ya Gotti’s lawyer was warned after a verbal altercation about Gotti being denied his right to have a clear line of sight to the jury.

Mariah The Scientist Reveals Marriage Plans For Young Thug

Away from the courtroom, Mariah The Scientist is continuing to prove her “wife goals” in regards to Young Thug. “I feel like he definitely wants to be married and I feel like I do too. I feel like being imaginative can help every human being on earth not lose your mind. It is like a little slight state of delusion,” Mariah told XXL. Furthermore, she noted that she spends “all day long” thinking about one thing. That thing is what life is going to be like with Thug once he is finally released from prison.

This sentiment is something that Mariah has long adhered to. “I feel like, and this is in all honesty, there is nobody on planet Earth that can get between me and supporting my man. I’m sorry, it’s just not gonna happen,” Mariah asserted in an interview in September. As things kick off in Fulton County Courthouse next week, we’ll of course have any updates as and when they emerge right here on HotNewHipHop.

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Young Thug’s YSL RICO Trial Will Officially Begin Next Week

November 24, 2023 by newhiphopnews

After more than 10 months of jury selection and over a year and a half behind bars, Young Thug’s trial will finally begin next week. Opening statements are now scheduled to start on Monday, November 27. He was originally arrested in early 2022 as part of a massive RICO indictment of his label YSL. Almost all of the defendants have since agreed to plea deals leaving just 6 remaining. Among them are two of the most high-profile figures in the case Thug and Yak Gotti.

Even though the trial hasn’t even started yet, there’s already been drama between the judge and lawyers in the case. First, the judge made a stern suggestion to Thug’s lawyer after a comment about the inclusion of one particular witness being a “farce.” The comment came after frustrating examination of a witness that the prosecutions alleged was a gang expert where the prosecution objected to almost everything asked. Yak Gotti’s lawyer had a similar encounter with the judge when he questioned the the arrangement of the court preventing the clients from their right to have a clear line of sight of the jury.

Young Thug’s YSL RICO Trial Finally Starting Soon

There were other high-profile figures involved in the original RICO indictment. Most notably is perhaps Gunna, who cut a plea deal earlier this year to avoid trial in the case. Many online took issue not just with the fact that he took a plea deal. The bigger issue was that he provided valuable testimony that YSL was, in fact, a gang.

The dissatisfaction didn’t particularly translate to Gunna’s sales though. The rapper released his album a Gift & a Curse earlier this year and it shot up to number two on the Billboard 200 in its first week. Even more impressively, the album contains one of the biggest rap hits of the year “fukumean.“ The song was a staple in the top 10 of the Hot 100 for months following its release and just landed on the Year End Hot 100. What do you think of Young Thug’s YSL RICO case finally getting a start date for next week? Do you think Thugger will beat the charges he’s facing? Let us know in the comment section below.

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Yak Gotti’s Lawyer Shares Tense Moment With The Judge During Pretrial Hearing

November 21, 2023 by newhiphopnews

With the beginning of the YSL RICO trial less than a week away, only six co-defendants in the case remain. Two of which are Young Thug and Yak Gotti. Thug’s position was seemingly weakened earlier this month when the judge made the decision to allow his song lyrics to be used as evidence in the trial. The decision proved controversial with dozens of rappers and hundreds of fans coming out against it. Even though the proceedings are still in pretrial, there have already been some heated moments between lawyers and judges.

Last week, Young Thug’s lawyer had a tense moment with one of the judges in the case while dealing with a witness called in to serve as a gang expert. Now, there’s once again been a confrontational moment between judge and lawyer. This time it was Yak Gotti’s lawyer and Judge Ural Glanville. Gotti’s lawyer Doug Weinstein brought up the fact that the defendants in the trial have the right to a line-of-sight view of the witnesses taking the stand. He mentioned it because the current configuration of the courtroom didn’t allow for it, which could potentially violate their rights. As they discussed solutions to the problem, Weinstein pointed out that the burden was on the state to fix the issue, as they caused it in the first place by trying so many defendants together. The judge didn’t take kindly to that response. Check out a clip of the interaction below.

Yak Gotti’s Lawyer Warned By Judge In Pretrial

“I’d be very careful addressing me this way, Mr. Weinsein! – Judge Glanville upset at defense attorney Weinstein. Weinstein legitimate concern is the configuration of the courtroom and the defendants’ right to have line of sight of witnesses. #YSL #YoungThug pic.twitter.com/pVWb1gFZgT

— Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) November 21, 2023

As with many elements of the case, fans online have taken the side of the defendants in both recent cases. Many agreed that the constant objections of the prosecution prevented Young Thug’s representation from accurately questioning their gang expert witness. And many online have agreed that Gotti’s lawyer was raising legitimate concerns that were dismissed too quickly by the judge.

Earlier this month, yet another co-defendant in the YSL trial accepted a plea deal. Derontae Bebee became the most recent of all the members indicted to cut a deal to avoid trial. What do you think of the judge in Yak Gotti’s case sending a warning to his lawyer in pretrial? Let us know in the comment section below.

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Young Thug’s Lawyer Upsets Judge With “Farce” Comment

November 13, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Tensions are already flaring in the newest proceedings of the YSL RICO trial. Opening statements are expected on November 27 but today in court the judge had in a “gang expert” to answer questions about the YSL outfit as a whole. After dealing with frustrating answers from the gang expert and repeated objections from the prosecution, Thug’s lawyer Brian Steel made a comment the judge didn’t appreciate.

Steel described the proceedings as a “farce” which the judge quickly hit back on. “Mr. Steel, I’d be careful about the characterization, sir. Farce is not the word I would use,” Judge Glanville responded. They had yet another exchange after the prosecution raised an objection for the form in which Steel asked a question. He disagreed with the objection. but the judge once again shut him down. “Mr. Steel, I’m the person that decides that not you. And the other thing is you keep asking him things that he may not have any knowledge base to,” Glanville replied. Check out the livestream of the events of the trial below.

Young Thug’s Lawyer Going Back And Forth With Judge

Last week, there was a new development in Young Thug’s trial that had a lot of fans and fellow rappers concerned. The judge ruled that lyrics from some of his songs would be allowed as evidence in court. The prosecution almost immediately introduced lyrics from Thug’s Juice Wrld collaboration “Bad Boy.” They claim that in the song he brags about shooting at YFN Lucci’s mother’s house.

Rappers like Killer Mike and Meek Mill quickly spoke out against the move. Mike called it an infringement on the first amendment rights of every citizen while Meek tweeted about being scared to even do interviews with everything that was being allowed in court. It’s unclear how many more songs the prosecution plans to use. What do you think of Young Thug’s lawyer getting into multiple exchanges with the judge in his case? Let us know in the comment section below.

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Meek Mill Speaks Out Against Using Rap Lyrics In Trials

November 10, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Earlier this week, it was announced that lyrics from various Young Thug songs would be allowed as evidence in his YSL RICO trial. Many online spoke out against the move immediately. Most notably, Killer Mike expressed his fear over the potential outcomes of the decision via his Instagram story. Now, Meek Mill, who has also long been an advocate for social justice and improving the justice system, is weighing in.

In a tweet, Meek explained his position. “Locking us for rapping got me scared to do a interview free Jeff free Lucci,” the post reads. It’s far from the first time Meek has weighed in on the events of Young Thug’s trial. Just last week he expressed his confidence in Thugger to beat the case. He was responding to reports that the judge was unhappy with the prosecution in the case. Meek described the trial as “messy” and consequently claimed that would help Thug beat the case. Check out Meek’s newest tweet on the trial below.

Meek Mill Says Free Young Thug And YFN Lucci

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Overnight, Meek Mill released his new collaborative album with Rick Ross. The album is called Too Good To Be True and its 17-song tracklist is packed full of impressive features. Vory, Fabolous, DJ Khaled, Teyana Taylor, The Dream, Jeremih, French Montana, Future and more appear on the album. The project also features an NBA themed remix as a bonus track with appearances from Damian Lillard and Shaq.

Meek Mill also had to recently respond to a callout from Dee-1. The New Orleans rapper took aim at Meek, Rick Ross, and Jim Jones for including violent lyrics in their songs. Subsequently, Meek clapped back on Instagram pointing out how those lyrics allowed him to transition into somebody who could be a force for good. What do you think of Meek Mill’s take on lyrics being used in trials? Let us know in the comment section below.

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