Atlanta (AP) Prosecutors rested their case Tuesday in the longest trial in Georgia history, following nearly a year of testimony in a broad gang and racketeering charge against Young Thug and an original 27 defendants.
Shannon Stillwell and Deamonte Kendrick, better known as Yak Gotti, informed the judge on Tuesday that they will not testify in their own defense. After more than a week of negotiations, both previously turned down plea deals.
On Wednesday, defense attorneys have stated that they will request that Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker instruct the jury to return a not guilty verdict against Kendrick and Stillwell. The defense must contend that no reasonable person could conclude that the state had proven Kendrick and Stillwell guilty.
Lawyers are also expected to argue on Wednesday regarding instructions to jurors regarding what they must find in order to convict Kendrick and Stillwell if Whitaker denies the request for a directed verdict.
The jury may start deliberating before the end of the week if they reconvene on Thursday.
The Grammy-winning musician Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffrey Williams and who was born in Atlanta, entered a guilty plea to gang, drug, and firearm charges in October. With significant limitations, such as a 10-year ban from the metro Atlanta area, excluding specific events, he was released from prison on an approval sentence.
From the beginning, there have been numerous issues with the slow-moving trial. The original judge, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville, was removed from the case in July after defense lawyers filed a recusal request based on a private conference he had with prosecutors and a state witness. Jury selection took almost ten months.
After taking over the case, Whitaker frequently became impatient with the prosecutors for what she previously described as subpar legal representation. She chastised prosecutors for failing to share evidence beforehand with defense lawyers.
Throughout the trial, over 175 witnesses provided testimony. According to the prosecution, Young Thug and two other individuals co-founded Young Slime Life, or YSL, a violent criminal street gang in 2012. The group is allegedly connected to the national Bloods gang. Rap songs by Young Thug were cited as proof.
Brian Steel, the defense lawyer, argued that Young Thug was wrongfully accused and denounced the usage of the songs during his plea hearing.
Young Thug wanted to return home to his family rather than endure the remainder of the trial, which felt like hell, but Steel stated that he believed they were winning and wanted to persevere.
Before the trial started, nine defendants in the indictment accepted plea agreements, including Atlanta rapper Gunna, whose actual name is Sergio Kitchens. One defendant was found guilty of murder in a separate case, and the prosecution withdrew charges against him.
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