Why is Young Thug still in jail? The charges against the YSL rapper, explained

In May 2022, rapper Young Thug was arrested in Georgia on RICO charges. Reportedly, the musician’s trial will begin on Nov. 27, 2023, which begs the question — why has Thug been in jail for so long, and what are all the charges against him?

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In addition to two RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) charges mentioned, including Conspiracy to Violate RICO, and Participation in Criminal Street Gang Activity, the Best Friend rapper is also indicted on six additional counts based on evidence gathered after Thug was arrested. According to The Fader, those include Georgia Controlled Substances Act violations and fully automatic weapons possession.

All combined, Thug and his associates are charged with using YSL (Young Stoner Life) Records, the label Thug founded, to form an illegal street gang and their music and social media presence to promote criminal activity, including murder, Euronews reported.

As others indicted in the case have accepted plea deals, Thug, whose given name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, pleaded not guilty to all charges against him, according to ABC News. Meanwhile, four bond requests were denied while Thug remained in custody.

On the decision to keep Thug in jail throughout the prolonged jury selection process, Judge Ural Glanville said he sought to minimize witness intimidation opportunities and called the hip-hop star a threat to the community.

The jury delay, explained

Issues slowing the jury selection process include Young Thug’s fame, potential juror bias toward Black men and hip-hop culture, and divisive content in Thug’s music. The judge hopes to select jurors with little former knowledge of Thug or YSL Records to give Young Thug a fair trial, which has caused delays.

Furthermore, the case is expected to last for as long as six months, eliminating many jurors. Meanwhile, Thug’s in-court behavior has also slowed down the process. In one incident, Thug was allegedly given an illicit substance from a codefendant at a hearing.

By the Thanksgiving 2023 holiday, a slate of jurors was finally selected. If Nov. 27, the date the trial will begin, had passed, the jury selection process would start all over again under Fulton County law. An extension was already granted because of the pandemic.

Judge Glanville cautioned the jurors not to speak about the case in person or on social media. Otherwise, there might be a mistrial. The Young Thug case is the currently lengthiest criminal case in Georgia state history (via Rolling Stone).

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