Share
News

Judge Sets New Rules for Rapper's Trial: 'Try to Be Efficient with the Jury's Time'

Share

The new judge presiding over the racketeering and gang prosecution of rapper Young Thug and several other defendants said Friday she plans to move forward expeditiously with the trial, which has already dragged on for more than a year.

Fulton County, Georgia, Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker held a hearing with prosecutors and defense attorneys to understand any pending issues she needed to address and lay down some ground rules.

Whitaker received the case after the first judge overseeing it, Chief Judge Ural Glanville, was removed. Two defendants had sought his recusal, citing a meeting the judge held with prosecutors and a state witness.

Jury selection began in January 2023 and took nearly 10 months. Opening statements were in November, and the prosecution has been presenting its case since then, calling dozens of witnesses.

Whitaker said she was “parachuting in” and had not been following the case.

The case is currently on hold, with jurors due back in August. Whitaker said she plans to start court promptly at 8:45 a.m. She also asked for a “realistic” witness list from attorneys, including what they expect those witnesses to say.

She noted she has the authority to exclude evidence and said she could use it.

“I need for us to try to be efficient with the jury’s time,” she said.

Young Thug, a Grammy winner whose given name is Jeffery Williams, was charged two years ago in a sprawling indictment accusing him and more than two dozen others of conspiring to violate Georgia’s anti-racketeering law.

Will this trial finally be resolved?

He also is charged with gang, drug and gun crimes.

He is standing trial with five other people indicted with him.

Brian Steel, a lawyer for Young Thug, has said his client is innocent and seeks to clear his name through a fair trial.

The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
, , , ,
Share
The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. Their teams in over 100 countries tell the world’s stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting. They provide content and services to help engage audiences worldwide, working with companies of all types, from broadcasters to brands. Photo credit: @AP on Twitter
The Associated Press was the first private sector organization in the U.S. to operate on a national scale. Over the past 170 years, they have been first to inform the world of many of history's most important moments, from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the bombing of Pearl Harbor to the fall of the Shah of Iran and the death of Pope John Paul.

Today, they operate in 263 locations in more than 100 countries relaying breaking news, covering war and conflict and producing enterprise reports that tell the world's stories.
Location
New York City




Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.

Conversation