Young Thug‘s RICO trial has been fraught with challenges — recently, a potential juror was held in contempt for calling the presiding judge a “bitch.”
On Monday (May 1), Hip Hop historian and investigative journalist Dennis Byron, whose been covering the trial of the State of Georgia vs. Jeffery Lamar Williams (Young Thug), shared some updates regarding the rapper’s case.
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According to Byron, “drama erupted in the courtroom” after a potential juror called the presiding judge Ural Glanville, a “bitch.”
“More drama erupts in the courtroom where the #YSL RICO trial is underway when a potential juror called presiding judge #UralGlanville a b*tch,” Byron wrote on Twitter May 1. “The judge then held her in contempt of court. Was her comment protected under the 1st Amendment? #YoungThug.”
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Byron continued in another tweet writing: “I thought that word was protected speech under the 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution? Lawyers chime in. #YoungThug trial coverage.”
Check out the tweets below:
Young Thug juror held in contempt of court for calling judge a "bitch" 😳https://t.co/52WCdDsvQrpic.twitter.com/lwWTKBtx9p
— HipHopDX (@HipHopDX) May 2, 2023
In May 2022, Thugger, Gunna, and 26 others, were indicted by Fulton County prosecutors, for allegedly being apart of a “criminal street gang” called Young Slime Life (YSL).
The charges include conspiring to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, murder, armed robbery and participation in criminal street gang activity.
As of late, at least eight YSL affiliates have entered into plea agreements, including Gunna, who was released from prison last December.
In other related news, Young Thug’s legal team has revealed the rapper is suffering both mentally and physically due to limited access to healthy food options, in their latest motion to secure a bond.
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In April, Atlanta’s 11Alive revealed that the 31-year-old is surviving on snacks like chocolate and chips at the Fulton County Jail, where he’s been “languishing” since May 2022, causing increased concern regarding whether he can be fully present due to increased fatigue.
The “Relationship” rhymer’s attorney Brian Steel also pointed to the absence of health benefits, access to sunlight, outdoor areas, and exercise while he awaits trial. Steel claims Young Thug is sleep-deprived, as he wakes up at 4 a.m. or 5 a.m. and does not return to jail until late — a routine that interferes with his ability to prepare for trial.
