Young Thug’s mistrial motion has been rejected by the judge. Paige Reese Whitaker, the new judge assigned to the case, denied the request. Young Thug and his lawyers had hoped for a breakthrough in his long-running RICO trial. The rapper was accused of heading a criminal street gang responsible for multiple violent crimes. He has been remanded in prison since 2022. However, Judge Whitaker refused to grant the request.
Young Thug’s Mistrial Motion Denied
During Young Thug’s mistrial motion proceedings, Judge Whitaker addressed the prosecution’s disposal towards the defendant. She seemed frustrated with them and admonished them for their behavior. Whitaker noted that the prosecutors appeared to want to deny Thug of his rights intentionally. Either that, or they lacked professionalism. “I don’t want to malign the prosecutor standing in front of me right now, so I’m not going to say the possible things it could be,” Whitaker said.
She added that it was “baffling to me that somebody with the number of years of experience that you have, time after time after time, continues to seemingly and purposefully hide the ball to the extent you possibly can, for as long as you possibly can.” Whitaker added that the prosecution’s stance was making the trial “difficult” for everyone. The judge called a quick recess and entered her chambers to consider Young Thug’s mistrial motion. However, she refused it when she returned.
Young Thug’s Mistrial Motion Case
Young Thug’s mistrial motion stemmed from the revelation of a secret meeting. Thug’s attorney discovered that the previous judge, Ural Glanville, prosecutors, and a key witness, Kenneth Copeland, met privately. They also found that prosecutors hid a key statement that could help their client. Copeland, known as Lil Woody, had mentioned that he was a prolific liar. Consequently, Judge Glanville was recused from the case. Lawyers also filed Young Thug’s mistrial motion to force the trial to start from scratch.
However, Whitaker noted that the situation didn’t violate the Brady rule. Hence, it was not sufficient reason to restart the trial. Nonetheless, she sentenced prosecutors to mandatory training for attempting to suppress the truth. Whitaker revealed that it was not the first time she had heard allegations of “prosecutorial misconduct.” Therefore, all prosecutors working on the case had to be trained on Brady and “other professional obligations of a prosecutor.” she also mandated that they watch a video on the topic.
Young Thug’s Legal Troubles
Young Thug’s legal troubles started in 2015 when gangsters fired at a Lil Wayne tour bus. Lil Wayne is on the prosecutors’ list of witnesses against Thug. Lil Woody is also a key witness. However, he has been reluctant to testify despite the prosecution granting him immunity for his testimony. Thug was officially arrested in May 2022 on charges of leading a criminal gang. He has been in the Cobb County jail since then. Meanwhile, Thug’s RICO criminal trial proceedings only began officially in November 2023.
He was indicted alongside 27 others for violating Georgia’s Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) law. Prosecutors accused Thug of committing violent crimes with YSL, such as murders, armed robberies, carjackings, and other crimes. They also tried to prove that YSL stands for Young Slime Life, a violent Atlanta gang, not Young Stoner Life. Thug’s trial has set new records since it started. The jury selection took a record-breaking ten months. It is also the longest trial in the history of Georgia.
#Clique, what do you think about the latest development in Young Thug’s prolonged trial? Share your thoughts.
