BY: Walker
Published 5 days ago
Yesterday (September 30), the Young Thug racketeering trial took another dramatic turn when the presiding judge criticized the prosecutors for presenting a disorganized case. Despite this reprimand, the defense’s repeated request for a mistrial was denied once more, as the trial reaches its 139th day.
“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,” Judge Whitaker said.
“But it is 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,” she continued. “I really don’t want to believe that it is purposeful, but honestly, after a certain number of times, you start to wonder how it could be anything but that. Unless it is just that you are so unorganized that you are throwing this case together as you try it. This case is being made much more difficult for everybody because of the haphazard way in which it is being presented.”
Judge Whitaker temporarily left the bench to deliberate on the mistrial motion but ultimately chose not to grant it. This tense moment highlighted the increasing vulnerability of the State’s case against Thug and his YSL crew. The rapper and his co-defendants are currently involved in Georgia’s longest criminal trial, which began eight months after their indictment on RICO charges in May 2022. The trial officially commenced in November 2023 but has been prolonged due to various delays, including a search for replacement judges amidst some behind-the-scenes drama.
The trial was expected to last at least a year. As the first anniversary quickly approaches, it seems as though the trial is nowhere near over yet.