ATLANTA — In a recently-filed motion, the attorney for Young Thug is again asking the court to grant the rapper bond, saying he is “languishing in the County Jail” without it.
The rapper, whose name is Jeffery Williams, has been in custody since he was arrested last May and indicted on charges accusing him of leading the “Young Slime Life” gang, which claims affiliation with the Bloods.
Williams, who maintains his innocence, is facing a gang activity charge from 2018 and a 2013 charge of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations, or RICO, Act.
In the motion, filed on April 24, Williams’ attorney Brian Steel says the 31-year-old is not able to stay healthy. Steel lists in the motion that Williams has access to limited healthy food options and relies on food with “zero health benefits,” like chocolate and chips.
Steel says Williams has had little access to fresh air and sunlight since May 2022, outside of when he’s transported to and from the courthouse, and exercise is limited because of the small cell.
Additionally, Steel claims that the rapper is “sleep-deprived” because he only receives five hours of sleep each night, and, on court days, must wake up between 3 and 4 a.m.
“By the end of the week, Mr. Williams is fighting to pay attention to the goings on in his case,” Steel said in the motion.
As such, Steel urged the court to consider granting Williams bond, arguing that “conditions can be imposed which permit bond to be set.”
Why is Young Thug in Jail?
The rapper, whose legal name is Jeffery Williams, is one of 28 people charged with being part of the Young Slime Life street gang in a sweeping indictment brought last month by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
In particular, the Fulton County DA is targeting Young Thug as the alleged “head” of the gang – “he’s the one they’re all afraid of, he’s the one that’s King Slime” is how one prosecutor put it during the bond hearing.
However, the rapper’s attorneys have argued there is no foundation for these accusations, saying he’s being punished on the basis of rap lyrics and social media posts and little to no evidence of any criminal acts. They have emphasized his influence to the Cleveland Avenue community and to art.
Where does the case stand?
The ongoing jury selection is heading into its fifth month in the Young Slime Life RICO trial in Fulton County. Next month will mark one year since the original indictment was handed down by the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, alleging that YSL committed nearly 200 criminal acts.
It could take even longer to finally seat those deciding the fate of more than a dozen alleged gang members.
There were originally 28 defendants listed in the initial indictment. Some did not get an attorney. Others took a plea deal with the DA’s Office.
11Alive reached out to the Fulton County DA’s Office for comment on the current status of the trial earlier this month but did not hear back.
Already, the YSL RICO trial is on pace to shatter records as the longest criminal trial in Fulton County history.
