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Young Thug's YSL RICO Trial To Begin Later This Month After Jury Seating
Today (Nov. 1), the YSL RICO case involving Young Thug progressed with its seating of the jury.
The rapper’s attorney announced the conclusion of the jury selection process to 11Alive on Monday (Oct 30). The proceedings align with the Thug’s request for a speedy trial since his arrest in May 2022.
Several times over the past year, Thug’s team advocated for a bond. They cited his deteriorating health due to the extended pretrial detention. Despite the claims presented in a July hearing, the Atlanta native’s proposition was rejected.
Notably, only seven of the initial 28 indicted individuals will stand trial. The rest either struck deals or were dropped. Among those was Gunna, who took an Alford plea in December 2022. The “Oh Okay” hitmaker faced a sizeable amount of scrutiny over the past year, with former collaborators and peers like Lil Durk and Boosie Badazz calling him a “snitch.”
However, Thug’s father revealed that Gunna’s decision to plea didn’t affect the legal battle. During an interview with Infamous Sylvia in September, Jeffery Williams Sr. explained, “I love Gunna. Gunna hasn’t done anything whatsoever that can hurt us on this case. Period.”
According to Variety, the YSL RICO trial date is slated to take place on Nov. 27.
In October, an extensive witness list was unveiled with several notable names in the hip hop industry. As per court documents, it included T.I., Lil Wayne, Killer Mike, and music executive Lyor Cohen.
In June 2022, HOT 97’s Summer Jam broadcasted an audio message from Thug. He stated, “I just want to say thank you to all my friends and my family for coming out and supporting us. You know, your support during this time means a lot to us. You know, this isn’t just about me or YSL. I always use my music as a form of artistic expression, and now I see that Black artists and rappers don’t have that freedom.”
Since then, the musician released BUSINESS IS BUSINESS in June, followed by “From A Man” on Oct. 13.