Rapper Young Thug is a free man. Here’s what to know about his petition.

Nearly two and a half years after he was arrested on charges of running a huge gang and racketeering, Young Thug was released from custody on Thursday evening. It was a remarkable development in a trial that was long and plagued with problems.

Jury selection at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta began in January 2023 and took about 10 months. Prosecutors have called dozens of witnesses since opening statements last November in the trial of the six defendants.

Here are some things to know about the petition: Who is Young Thug?

An Atlanta-based artist whose real name is Jeffrey Lamar Williams, Young Thug is known for his eccentric style, thunderous raps and husky, high-pitched vocals. He gained popularity with breakout hits including “Stoner” and “Best Friend” and co-wrote the hit “This is America” ​​with Childish Gambino, which became the first hip-hop track to win the Grammy of the Year in 2019.

Young Thug has collaborated with other top artists including Drake, Chris Brown, T.I., and Travis Scott. Elton John called working with Young Thug an “amazing moment” after recording Nicki Minaj and Gunna’s song “Always Love You”.

He broke the hyper-masculine norms of the hip-hop scene, wearing a dress on the cover of his 2016 mixtape “Jeffrey” and saying there’s no such thing as a penis as part of a Calvin Klein campaign.

Young Thug, 33, grew up in a suburban Atlanta housing project plagued by crime and violence. What was he accused of?

He was originally indicted and arrested on May 9, 2022, and more charges were added in a subsequent indictment in August. The second indictment charged Young Thug and 27 others with conspiracy to violate Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, known as RICO. The rapper was charged with participating in criminal street gang activity as well as drug and gun charges.

Prosecutors allege that Young Thug and two other men co-founded a violent criminal street gang called Young Slime Life, or YSL, in 2012, which they say is linked to the National Bloods gang. The indictment states that Young Thug “made YSL a famous name by mentioning it in his songs and on social media.”

Prosecutors portrayed him as a gang leader known as King Slime, a man who calls shots and directs others to engage in criminal activity. How did the petition come?

Prosecutors were in talks with Young Thug’s lawyers to try to reach an agreement that would end his involvement in the long-running trial. But those efforts stalled when the two sides couldn’t agree on terms.

Speaking to reporters after the sentencing, Young Thug attorney Brian Steele declined to discuss the conversation. But he said prosecutors were insisting on “abusive” terms: “They’ll let him out of custody, but they’ll tie the knot around him so tightly that it’s unfair.”

Instead, the rapper moved forward with a potentially risky non-negotiation or “blind” plea, meaning he was filing the plea without making any agreement with prosecutors.

He pleaded guilty to one gang charge, three drug charges and two gun charges. He also entered a plea of ​​no contest to another gang charge and a racketeering conspiracy charge, meaning he chose not to contest those charges, but could have been punished as if he had pleaded guilty. yes. Will he spend time in jail?

No – as long as he follows the terms of his sentence.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker sentenced him to a total of 40 years in prison. Initially he was to serve five years in jail, but it was converted to time served. Then he has 15 years on probation. Finally, if he complies with all the terms of his probation, the 20 years of “backloaded” prison will be commuted to the term of the sentence. If he does not successfully complete his probation, he will have to serve those 20 years in prison.

Prosecutors wanted Young Thug to be sentenced to 45 years, with 25 years in prison and the remaining 20 on probation. Prosecutor Adrian Love said the charges against him carry a maximum sentence of 120 years in prison.

Steele had asked the judge to impose a 45-year sentence, with five of the sentences commuted to time served in prison, and 40 years of probation. What did he say to the judge before sentencing?

He apologized to his family, his managers, court representatives and “really anyone who had anything to do with this situation” for the time taken up by his case.

“I hope you will allow me to go home today and trust me to do the right thing,” he told the judge, and promised him he would never be in this type of situation again.

“You know, I’ve learned from my mistakes. I came from nothing and I built something and I didn’t take full advantage of it. I’m sorry,” he said.

He told her he understands his impact on people and said he has also tried to return millions of dollars back to his community. What are the terms of his sentence?

She must stay away from the metro Atlanta area – as defined by the census – for the first 10 years of her probation, except for weddings, funerals, graduations or the serious illness of an immediate family member. He can arrive 24 hours before the event and must leave within 48 hours.

But he must return to the Atlanta area four times during each year of his probation to give an anti-gang, anti-gun violence presentation at a grade school, middle school or high school, or an organization such as the Boys & Girls Club. , Those visits can count toward the 100 hours of community service he must complete during each year of his probation.

He cannot knowingly contact any member of a criminal street gang. The judge said the indictment also included others except his brother and rapper Gunna, with whom he had contractual obligations.

He cannot participate in criminal street gang activity or make any gang promotion, including hand signals.

He also cannot have contact with the victims or their families in the case, he cannot have a gun, he must not use drugs other than those prescribed, he must undergo random drug tests, and is prohibited from using himself and his property and electronics. Permission to search will have to be given. What do prosecutors say about sentencing?

“The conviction in this case represents accountability for those who recruited members of a violent street gang, YSL,” Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ office said in a statement Friday. The statement said prosecutors are committed to pursuing charges against the remaining defendants. What happened during the trial?

The trial dragged on and was beset with problems.

Before the trial began, prosecutors and defense attorneys debated whether the defendants’ rap songs should be allowed into evidence. The original Fulton County Superior Court judge, Ural Glanville, allowed prosecutors to introduce some of the lyrics as long as they could show that the lyrics were related to the crimes Young Thug and others were accused of committing. Defense lawyers had asked the judge to throw them out, arguing that the lyrics are constitutionally protected speech and would be unfairly prejudicial.

Just weeks after prosecutors began presenting evidence, the trial had to be halted because one of Young Thug’s co-defendants was stabbed in jail.

In June, Steele told Glanville in open court that he had learned of a meeting in the judge’s chambers between the judge, prosecutors and a prosecution witness. When Steele refused to tell him how he found out about the meeting, Glanville found him insubordinate and ordered him to spend 10 weekends in jail. That sentence was put on hold during Steele’s appeal, and the Georgia Supreme Court recently overturned the contempt decision.

Glanville was removed from the case the following month when defense attorneys sought to recuse him, citing a meeting the judge held with prosecutors and a state witness. This caused a further delay until Whittaker was appointed to take over.

In September Whittaker became frustrated with lead prosecutor Love, saying the case was being presented in a “disorganized” manner and that she could not tell “whether it’s all purposeful or it’s just really bad advocacy.” What about the other defendants?

Three co-defendants pleaded guilty earlier this week after striking a deal with prosecutors. That leaves only two other co-defendants on trial.

Nine people charged in the indictment, including Gunna, accepted pleas before the trial began. Twelve others are to be tried separately. Prosecutors dropped charges against a defendant after he was convicted of murder in an unrelated case.

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