Last week, the jury selection process in Young Thug’s high-profile RICO trial concluded when twelve people were seated after ten months of legal wranglings and mishaps.
Prosecutors in Fulton County, Georgia, allege that Young Thug is the head of the Young Slime Life (YSL) gang that orchestrated a crime wave across Georgia, encompassing murder, drug trafficking, assaults, and carjackings.
Young Thug contends that YSL, an acronym for Young Stoner Life, is merely a record label and not a criminal enterprise.
Throughout the lengthy jury selection process, local authorities have consistently voiced concerns over the safety of potential witnesses.
Earlier this year, Judge Ural Glanville’s court issued a temporary order barring the disclosure of witness information following “numerous threats to kill or harm witnesses,” signaling a history of witness intimidation that includes plots against law enforcement and threats to witnesses and their families.
These concerns have now extended to the jurors, prompting Judge Ural Glanville to take the extraordinary step of keeping the identities of the jurors and six alternates confidential to ensure their protection, according to information obtained exclusively by AllHipHop.com.
“No person shall videotape, photograph, draw in a realistic or otherwise identifiable manner,
or otherwise record images, statements, or conversations of jurors/prospective jurors, whether inside or outside the courtroom,” Judge Ural Glanville said. “Jurors shall be identified by number only in court filings or in open court during the pendency of trial. No party shall disclose during the pendency of the trial any juror/prospective juror information that would reveal a juror’s/prospective juror’s identity, including names, addresses, telephone numbers, identifying employment information, physical descriptions, or membership affiliations.”
This backdrop of potential danger to witnesses and jurors alike highlights the importance of maintaining juror anonymity in the trial.
Despite his claims of innocence, the Fulton County District Attorney’s office has successfully negotiated numerous plea deals with dozens of his co-defendants, including rappers Gunna and Young Thug’s brother Unfoonk.
Eight defendants remain to face trial, including Young Thug himself. Young Thug’s trial is set to commence on November 27.