The hotly-anticipated trial of the rapper Young Thug is underway in a courtroom in Atlanta, Georgia, following almost a year of delays.
In May 2022, Young Thug, real name Jeffery Williams, was arrested and charged in a sprawling RICO indictment along with 27 other defendants.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis – who is using the same law to prosecute Donald Trump in his Georgia election interference case – accused the suspects of being part of a criminal street gang named YSL or “Young Slime Life.”
According to prosecutors, the gang is responsible for a series of violent crimes, including murders, shootings, carjackings and racketeering.
Young Thug has denied the accusations and insisted that YSL is simply Young Thug’s record label – Young Stoner Life.
After several defendants took plea deals or had their cases severed, the Grammy Award-winning rapper and five others are finally on trial.
Week two of the trial has already led to a few viral snippets. Mr Williams boasted a designer sweater emblazoned with a wolf, which sparked speculation on social media that he was sending a message to the prosecution.
In another viral moment, a video is circulating of the rapper seeming to mouth “I love you” to his girlfriend Mariah the Scientist across the courtroom.
Key points
Tuesday 5 December 2023 21:45 , Kelly Rissman
Edwin Garcia testifies
Mr Garcia is employed at the GBI in the forensic section.
The forensic scientist testified about marijuana that was sent to him in January 2023, which a defence attorney said Mr Bebee was arrested for allegedly possessing in 2020.
Tuesday 5 December 2023 21:30 , Kelly Rissman
Cross-examination of APD Officer Applewhaite gets testy
Keith Adams on cross:
“There are a lot of high drug-areas in the city of Atlanta. It’s not just Cleveland Avenue.”He asks if the police could walk into Buckhead on any given day and buy pot.
The officer says yes.— Shaddi Abusaid (@ShaddiAbusaid) December 5, 2023
Tuesday 5 December 2023 21:12 , Kelly Rissman
Officer Jasmyn Hawkins Mogavero takes the stand
Ms Mogavero works for the APD. She said 151 Cleveland Ave, the gas station, is a “high crime area” in terms of “shootings and drugs.”
She is also testifying about Mr Bebee on May 9, 2020.
Mr Bebee took a plea deal last month, meaning only six defendants are on trial.
Tuesday 5 December 2023 21:01 , Kelly Rissman
Officer Ian Applewhaite testifies
The Atlanta police officer testified about going undercover at 151 Cleveland Ave, where Mr Bebee allegedly sold him $20 worth of weed.
Derontae Bebee agreed to a plea deal last month. He pleaded guilty to all counts against him.
Tuesday 5 December 2023 20:45 , Kelly Rissman
Young Thug trial viewers speculate he was sending a message with wolf sweater
The rapper, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, is in court in Fulton County, Georgia, fighting gang and racketeering charges in connection with what DA Fani Willis and prosecutors say is a violent street gang he co-founded called Young Slime Life (YSL). He and 27 defendants other are facing RICO charges and have each been individually charged with other violations. Mr Williams has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
On Monday, Mr Williams arrived at court wearing an Amiri sweater emblazoned with a wolf, according to WSBTV. The sweater retails for $1,090 but is currently on sale for $595.
Viewers sounding off online were quick to question whether the wolf image was meant as a jab at prosecutors, who mentioned the animal in opening statements last week.
Read the full story…
Young Thug trial viewers think he was sending a message with $1,090 wolf sweater
Tuesday 5 December 2023 20:15 , Kelly Rissman
ICYMI: What people are saying about Young Thug’s viral sweater
The rapper’s sweater, which featured a wolf, has been sending social media spinning.
“Young Thug is wearing a cartoon wolf on his shirt. Is he intentionally making fun of the state’s opening statement, which compared YSL to ‘a pack of wolves’ and called Thug the ‘leader of the pack,’” one X user wrote.
Another user wrote, “When you have expensive threads, you might as well risk a conviction to show the drip.”
Another remarked that similar to the Gwyneth Paltrow trial, “I tune into the #YoungThug trial in part for the fashion.”
Tuesday 5 December 2023 19:45 , Kelly Rissman
‘I love you’ whispered in courtroom
A clip of Young Thug that seems to show him mouthing “I love you” across the courtroom to his girlfriend, Mariah the Scientist, is going viral.
Tuesday 5 December 2023 19:25 , Kelly Rissman
The trial continues after lunch
Patrick Chepaitis took the stand. He used to work for the GBI, where he tested controlled substances, he testified.
A prosecutor asked Mr Chepaitis to describe the results of an analysis, which “confirmed the presence of cocaine,” he said.
Tuesday 5 December 2023 19:15 , Kelly Rissman
What does ‘pushin P’ mean?
Defence attorney Brian Steel pulled up a Powerpoint slide during his opening remarks showing a photo of his client, Mr Williams, flashing a hand sign. The indictment states that Mr Williams is flashing a “‘Bloods’ gang sign.” Mr Steel said the prosecution is arguing that his hand is in the shape of a “B.”
Mr Steel said that his client was holding up the letter “P” before referencing a song by Mr Williams and his codefendant Sergio Kitchens, aka Gunna, called “pushin P.” The lawyer translated the song to mean “pushing positivity.”
According to Mr Steel, “It means, any circumstance you’re in, if you think positively about something, you can make it through. You’re pushing positivity.”
The term has been represented online by the ðŸ…¿ï¸ emoji and is understood to mean “keeping it real” or, according to Mr Kitchens on The Breakfast Club, it “could” mean keeping it “player.”
Tuesday 5 December 2023 19:00 , Kelly Rissman
Recap: What happened last week in the YSL trial?
The prosecution portrayed the rapper as the “head” of the so-called “criminal street gang” YSL (Young Slime Life), and used lyrics in its opening statement to support its case, but not without many delays and a fiery Judge Ural Glanville, who seemed upset with both sides on Monday.
The rapper, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, and 27 other defendants have been charged in a sweeping 65-count indictment. Mr Williams has been charged with eight counts, including possession of a firearm while committing a felony and possession of a machine gun. He has pleaded not guilty to all counts.
All defendants have been charged with racketeering. Prosecutors say YSL is a gang; the defence insists it is just a record label.
The trial began nearly an hour and a half behind schedule because a juror was late.
The prosecutor, Adriane Love, was finally able to begin her opening statements — but was stopped a few times with objections. Defence attorney Brian Steel made three objections to her opening statement, all of which were sustained.
Read the full story…
Young Thug’s YSL trial kicks off with scoldings, ‘wasted time’ and no tempo
Tuesday 5 December 2023 18:00 , Kelly Rissman
The court is on lunch break until 1.30pm
Three witnesses have testified today about three separate “overt acts” laid out in the indictment.
The trial started late today, as is quickly becoming par for the course in this case.
Tuesday 5 December 2023 17:42 , Kelly Rissman
Who is Mariah the Scientist?
Mariah the Scientist is not only a singer-songwriter from Atlanta, but is also Young Thug’s girlfriend.
The pair made headlines recently when Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, released the song, “From a Man,” after she dropped “From a Woman.”
Mr Williams “is someone who supports and respects my vision wholeheartedly. There is a true balance in my femininity and his masculinity,” Mariah the Scientist said in October, according to Rolling Stone. “He’s the yang to my yin in every way.”
The couple also made headlines again this week after Mr Williams boasted a sweater featuring a wolf on it. Although some social media users thought he wore it as a jab to the prosecution — who called him the “head of the pack” of YSL and quoted The Jungle Book — Mariah the Scientist told WSBTV that wearing the sweater was a “pure coincidence.”
Tuesday 5 December 2023 17:30 , Kelly Rissman
Sherrod Stancil takes the stand
Mr Stancil works for the APD.
He said on 21 January, 2020 at an Exxon gas station, he observed a “group of males quickly fleeing into the gas station.” He said four of them went inside. He then chatted with two of them; one of them had marijuana and was “detained without incident.”
Mr Bebee stayed inside while the third person came outside. Suspicious, Mr Stancil said he started talking to the fourth person, Mr Bebee. He went back inside, where he found “a small baggie containing half a baggie of crack cocaine,” he said, where “Mr Bebee” was.
Derontae Bebee is accused of possessing cocaine in the indictment. Mr Stancil said surveillance footage inside the gas station confirmed that Mr Bebee took the bag out of his boot. He was later detained.
Tuesday 5 December 2023 17:10 , Kelly Rissman
Josh Macenczak testifies
Mr Macenczak used to work at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).
He was asked about testing certain drugs found. He found 31 grams of “bath salts,” he said.
He was cross-examined by Quamarvious Nichols’ attorney, Nicole Westmoreland. She asked him about the handling of the evidence before the GBI. She then outlined each of his findings.
He said he received five bags: one bag of a few tablets–which was untested– another bag with one tablet–which was untested–and three bags with a “solid substance” in each–one was found to be bath salts. She pointed out that the reporting officer stated that he seized “two bags” of this substance.
Tuesday 5 December 2023 16:47 , Kelly Rissman
Sgt Cornelius takes the stand
Jonathan Cornelius, who used to serve on APD, testified on Tuesday. He discussed his involvement in the K9 unit.
He discussed 23 October, 2018 when a dog alerted finding narcotics near a “gray Chevy Sonic” car in a parking lot during an open-air search. The dog was scratching at the driver’s side door handle, Sgt Cornelius said.
That is the same day that the indictment states that Quamvarious Nichols was found with MDMA. Another witness testified about the finding yesterday.
Tuesday 5 December 2023 16:30 , Kelly Rissman
Judge asks to speak to someone from Law & Crime
Judge Glanville called up a representative from Law & Crime along with a member of the defence team to speak to him privately.
It’s unclear what they are talking about. The chat comes after the network’s watermark was seen on screenshots circulated online. But an executive producer took to X to clear the network’s name.
“For the record (because I’ve had so many comments) it was not Law&Crime’s camera in the YSL courtroom today,” Cathy Russon wrote. “We had no control over anything that was shown. We took our stream down as soon as we were alerted that some jurors were inadvertently shown.”
When The Independent called the Office of the Court Administrator, a representative said she “didn’t know” which outlet was responsible for airing the live feed.
Tuesday 5 December 2023 16:15 , Kelly Rissman
Young Thug arrives in suit and tie
Mr Williams showed up in court on Tuesday in a dark suit and tie following a social media frenzy over Monday’s outfit: a designer sweater featuring a wolf.
Social media users were speculating whether the rapper had decided to boast the wolf sweater as a jab to the prosecution, who had accused him of being the “head of the pack.” The sweater costs nearly $1,200, according to the maker’s website.
Tuesday 5 December 2023 16:00 , Kelly Rissman
The trial is once again starting late
In case you missed it, here’s what happened in the YSL trial yesterday.
The prosecution wanted to tack on more witnesses, which the defence took issue with.
Officer Antonio Skeete, who testified about an allegedly stolen gun taken during a burglary in 2013. Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffrey Williams, is accused of theft by receiving stolen property, according to the indictment.
Officer Wellington Clarke, who testified about his involvemnet in the investigation as a crime scene technician.
Sergeant Carlos Maldonado, who testified about a 2017 traffic stop that led to the arrest of Quamarvious Nichols, another defendant in this case. Mr Maldonado said he found substances suspected to be MDMA and Xanax after searching the vehicle. Mr Maldonado’s appearance as a witness on Monday was initially contested by the defence after they claimed they could not cross-examine him about the subject of his testimony ahead of time.
Sergeant Charles Ross, who testified about his investigations into the social media activity of Mr Nichols and his subsequent arrest of Mr Nichols in 2018. His body camera footage was played in court. Mr Ross also told the court he had knowledge of hand signs and graffiti tags that indicated association with YSL in the zone he patrolled for the Atlanta Police Department.
Tuesday 5 December 2023 15:33 , Kelly Rissman
Howls over the wolf sweater
Social media is buzzing over a designer wolf sweater donned by Young Thug at his trial in Georgia – days after prosecutors described him as the head of a wolf pack.
The rapper, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, is in court in Fulton County, Georgia, fighting gang and racketeering charges in connection with what DA Fani Willis and prosecutors say is a violent street gang he co-founded called Young Slime Life (YSL). He and 27 defendants other are facing RICO charges and have each been individually charged with other violations. Mr Williams has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
On Monday, Mr Williams arrived at court wearing an Amiri sweater emblazoned with a wolf, which retails for nearly $1,200.
Viewers sounding off online were quick to question whether the wolf image was meant as a jab at prosecutors, who mentioned the animal in opening statements last week.
Read the full story…
Tuesday 5 December 2023 15:00 , Kelly Rissman
ICYMI: A viral moment in the YSL trial
Mr Williams’ laywer told the court that the word “thug” means “truly humble under God”.
“He insisted everybody call him Young Thug… and that fit into the appearance of the gangster rap. But most people think about a thug as a criminal. But to Jeffrey, Thug had a different meaning,” he said.
Tuesday 5 December 2023 21:34 , Kelly Rissman
WATCH: Young Thug, YSL RICO Trial Day 5: Police take stand
ICYMI: Who testified on Monday to kick off the second week of Young Thug’s trial?
Tuesday 5 December 2023 14:00 , Katie Hawkinson
In case you missed it, here’s the recap of who testified on Monday, kicking off the second week of Young Thug’s trial:
Officer Antonio Skeete, who testified about an allegedly stolen gun taken during a burglary in 2013. Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffrey Williams, is accused of theft by receiving stolen property, according to the indictment.
Officer Wellington Clarke, who testified about his involvemnet in the investigation as a crime scene technician.
Sergeant Carlos Maldonado, who testified about a 2017 traffic stop that led to the arrest of Quamarvious Nichols, another defendant in this case. Mr Maldonado said he found substances suspected to be MDMA and Xanax after searching the vehicle. Mr Maldonado’s appearance as a witness on Monday was initially contested by the defence after they claimed they could not cross-examine him about the subject of his testimony ahead of time.
Sergeant Charles Ross, who testified about his investigations into the social media activity of Mr Nichols and his subsequent arrest of Mr Nichols in 2018. His body camera footage was played in court. Mr Ross also told the court he had knowledge of hand signs and graffiti tags that indicated association with YSL in the zone he patrolled for the Atlanta Police Department.
ICYMI: Prosecution, defense began week two of trial with spat over witness list
Tuesday 5 December 2023 13:00 , Katie Hawkinson
Young Thug’s defence team called on Judge Ural Glanville to stop prosecutors from calling certain witnesses. His attorneys claimed they were not given enough time to prepare over the weekend after the prosecution added additional witnesses on Sunday evening.
“Yesterday evening, for God’s sake,” Keith Adams, a member of the defence, said to Judge Ural Glanville.
The prosecution had an original list of 70 and sent a list of 17 additional people on Sunday evening, the defence said.
The prosecution said the defence had enough time and offered to bring certain witnesses to the defence on Monday to give them more time to cross-examine.
Judge Glanville said he was not included on any email exchanges about witnesses after Friday. He warned the prosecution that excluding witnesses would not be out of the question.
“Exclusion would not be a far-reaching remedy for me at this point,” Judge Glanville said. “We’ve spent 30 minutes on this issue that I can’t get back.”
“I don’t want to deal with it again,” he continued.
ICYMI: Young Thug’s court attire on Monday raised questions
Tuesday 5 December 2023 12:00 , Katie Hawkinson
The sweater Young Thug wore to court on Monday featured a design of a wolf on the front, which had some questioning whether the outfit choice was an intentional reference to the first day of the trial.
During opening statements last week, the prosecution referenced a wolf and claimed Young Thug is the “head of the pack.” Now, viewers on social media are speculating whether the choice references those comments.
Young Thug’s girlfriend, Mariah the Scientist, told reporter Michael Seiden the choice was “pure coincidence.”
Why is Young Thug on trial?
Tuesday 5 December 2023 11:00 , Kelly Rissman
Young Thug and the other YSL members named in the indictment are charged with conspiracy to violate Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
The act is similar to its federal counterpart, which is used to convict large-scale organisations such as the mafia.
According to the indictment, associates of YSL “conspired to associate together and with others for the common purposes of illegally obtaining money and property through a pattern of racketeering activity”.
It claims that YSL members were involved in murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, theft, drug dealing, carjacking, and witness intimidation.
Other activities include “the posting of messages, images, videos and songs, demonstrating allegiance to the enterprise and willingness to engage in violence on its behalf”.
Prosecutors claim they can show that some of the group’s lyrics are related to crimes that they are accused of committing.
Through these activities and more the gang aimed to “preserve, protect, and enhance the reputation, power and territory” of the enterprise, prosecutors said.
ICYMI: Young Thug defence lawyer went viral last week
Tuesday 5 December 2023 09:00 , Rachel Sharp
Last week, Young Thug’s lawyer Brian Steel explained the meaning behind several of the rapper’s lyrics – after prosecutors claimed the lyrics are central to the case.
This included claiming the word thug means “truly humble under God”.
“He insisted everybody call him Young Thug… and that fit into the appearance of the gangster rap. But most people think about a thug as a criminal. But to Jeffrey, Thug had a different meaning,” he said.
His courtroom performance has since gone viral on social media.
What to know about YSL as week two of the trial continues
Tuesday 5 December 2023 07:00 , Kelly Rissman
YSL is Young Thug’s own record label, Young Slime Life. Artists on his record label are considered part of the…
Read More: Young Thug mouths message to Mariah the Scientist across trial courtroom: Live