A Zoom bomber interrupted Young Thug’s slow-moving RICO trial in Georgia on Wednesday (January 10). The unidentified crasher seized an opportunity to shout support for the embattled rapper after Judge Ural Glanville called for a recess.
“Free Thug!” the person yelled. “Mistrial! Free Thug! Mistrial!”
A mistrial could complicate what’s already been a tedious effort to try Young Thug and other YSL members on RICO charges. It took 10 months just to seat a jury for the trial, which began in November 2023. If Judge Glanville declared a mistrial, the entire process would start all over again.
LISTEN: As court was about to take a break in the Young Thug YSL Rico trial Wednesday, a Zoom bomber made their support for the famed rapper known.
— Law&Crime Network (@LawCrimeNetwork) January 10, 2024
"Free Thug! Mistrial! Free Thug! Mistrial!" the person shouted #YSL #YoungThug #YoungThugTrial pic.twitter.com/ZpC5dAQ4rQ
Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, is one of six defendants on trial in the YSL RICO case. The trial is expected to take months.
Judge Glanville quickly dismissed a juror within the first two weeks of the trial. The juror was excused after she was admitted to a hospital. Judge Glanville decided to move on without her to avoid delaying the trial.
Another disruption occurred when one of Young Thug’s co-defendants got stabbed in December 2023. Shannon Stillwell was unable to appear in court following the jailhouse stabbing. Stillwell’s absence forced Judge Glanville to send jurors early for their holiday break.
The trial resumed on January 2, 2024. Judge Glanville delayed the proceedings again due to an attorney’s illness on Tuesday (January 9). Testimony continued on Wednesday (January 10).
Young Thug’s former co-defendant Trontavious Stephens returned to the stand on Wednesday. Stephens, who testified over several days in the trial, accepted a plea deal in the YSL RICO case. He suggested his crimes were the reason YSL got labeled as a gang.
“I committed crimes while being a part of YSL, so by me committing crimes while being a part of YSL, that was [the] basis to say that YSL was a gang,” Stephens testified.
Young Thug and his co-defendants pleaded not guilty to RICO charges. Young Thug remains in jail without bond.