Young Thug was denied bond by Judge Ural D. Glanville at an hours-long hearing that took place on Thursday, June 2.
The judge, who mentioned an expected trial date of January 9, 2023, cited concerns about witnesses being threatened or harmed when explaining the decision to deny Thug’s bond. The rapper, legal name Jeffrey Williams, watched the hearing remotely from Cobb County Jail.
The hearing started with prosecutors arguing that Thug’s lawyer Brian Steel should be removed from the case due to an alleged conflict of interest, according to WXIA-TV and Joe Coscarelli of TheNew York Times. After some back and forth Steel was allowed to continue to act as Thug’s attorney. After that was settled, Thug’s team requested their client be released to home confinement.
People who asked the court to allow for Thug to be released on bond included Machine Gun Kelly and record executive/300 Entertainment co-founder Kevin Liles.
“I’m willing to back him personally and professionally,” Liles said during the hearing, per Coscarelli.
Also during the hearing, prosecutors quoted Thug’s lyrics such as those from his So Much Fun song “Just How It Is” when arguing that the rapper should not be released on bond. The lines that were read from the track were: “Ask the cops, ask the detectives, they know all the business/Ask the cops and the detectives, all the jurisdictions/Ask the kids at school who ambition all the missions/Gave the lawyer close to two mil’, he handle all the killings.” Prosecutors argued that Thug’s lyrics are based on real life situations and accused the rapper of being the head and founder of the Young Slime Life street gang. They alleged that Thug is the “top dog, the most dangerous man here, because he doesn’t have to get his hands dirty, he has others to do his business,” WXIA-TV reported.
Williams was charged with conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act in a 56-count indictment that also included several other Young Stoner Life Records rappers like Gunna, Yak Gotti, YSL Duke, and others. Thug was arrested on May 9 after his home in Atlanta was raided by authorities.
Gunna, who was accused by prosecutors of being in a “command” role in YSL, was denied bond late last month. His trial date has been scheduled for Jan. 9, 2023.
Head here to read more info on the case.
You can watch a video of the hearing up top via YouTube.
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