Young Thug, YSL RICO Trial Day Four | Jury dismissed for 3-day weekend

ATLANTA - The judge commenced day 4 of Young Thug's trial by addressing an incident that occurred on Wednesday. The mishap involved a television media pool camera operated by FOX 5, which inadvertently displayed the images of at least two members of the jury. The incident quickly gained traction on social media.

Prosecutors expressed their concerns about potential screenshots spreading on the internet and the possibility of friends and family recognizing jurors, leading to unwanted contact regarding the ongoing trial. The judge responded by urging anyone with information about such occurrences to inform the court. However, he advised prosecutors to proceed with the trial without drawing further attention to the incident.

Acknowledging the unintentional camera mishap, the judge requested media outlets to ensure such incidents do not reoccur. He emphasized that he did not want the incident to dominate the day's proceedings and acknowledged that it was inadvertent and not intentional.

Moving on, testimony began with a woman discussing a car theft incident that occurred about a decade ago. The woman was working as a "house mom" for an adult entertainment club in 2013 when she was rear-ended and a man then stole her vehicle. 

Mellissa Dees Rosser says she was in a minor fender bender on Jan. 25, 2013, and that when she got out to speak to the driver, a man stole her car. Afterward, a captain with the Atlanta Police Department, who investigated the case as an undercover officer and testified about his interactions with a man later identified as Trontavious Stephens.

"There were some middle fingers, there was some gang signs being thrown. I cannot tell you what they were," he stated. He then testified the man flashed a gun.

"He pulled the pistol from his pants, held it below his waistline while holding the barrel pointed at me and my partner," he added.

This is the first overt act listed in the indictment which prosecutors aim to prove as racketeering. It involves Stephens, an alleged co-founder of the YSL gang. Multiple attorneys questioned him in cross-examination about his claim of seeing gang signs. He said he had no idea what the sign was or what gang it was tied to. He also agreed that if someone does flash a gang sign and then points a weapon at someone, then it is not gang activity.

Another sergeant testified to the third overt act in the indictment referencing defendant Shannon Stillwell and that while he was arrested for marijuana charges, he was not arrested for any gang charges at that time.

The jury has Friday off, but will be back in the courtroom on Monday morning at 9 a.m. to resume hearing from thedozen upon dozen of witnesses expected to testify.

Young Thug, YSL RICO Trial Day 3 Recap

Testimony from law enforcement officials is expected to continue during day four of the Young Thug YSL RICO trial in Fulton County Superior Court.

On Wednesday, Detective Mark Belknap, who works in the Atlanta Police Department’s gang unit, took the stand to give his expert testimony on what he had learned in his 18 years about the initiation process, how they operate internally, distinguishing characteristics and why people typically join.

He then testified about the history of street gangs with a large focus on "Raised on Cleveland" or the "ROC Crew." He also discussed some of the biggest challenges investigators face when prosecuting gang crimes.

The detective was among the first witnesses of potentially several hundred who are expected to take the stand in the trial of rapper Young Thug and five associates. Prosecutors say all are part of the YSL gang, and now face charges for violating Georgia’s anti-racketeering and gang laws.

RAPPER YOUNG THUG, ASSOCIATES ARRESTED FOR RICO ACT CHARGES IN ATLANTA

What do prosecutors say about Young Thug?

The gang began about a decade ago in Atlanta’s Cleveland Avenue neighborhood, born of an internal rift in a preceding gang, and Young Thug emerged as its leader, Love said. The gang’s members were "associated in fact" — using common identifiers, language, symbols and colors — and they "knew who their leader was and they knew the repercussions of not obeying their leader," she said.

"The people who have been affected directly and indirectly by the gang’s violence represent the lives "swallowed up by that crater created by YSL in the Cleveland Avenue community," Love said.

The Grammy winner, whose given name is Jeffery Williams, was charged last year in a sprawling indictment that accused him and more than two dozen others of conspiring to violate Georgia’s anti-racketeering law. He also is charged with gang, drug and gun crimes and is standing trial with five of the others indicted with him.

Fulton County prosecutor Adriane Love didn’t dispute that Young Thug is a talented artist, but she said he exploited his gift for a darker purpose, using his songs, clout and social media posts to promote and establish the dominance of his gang, Young Slime Life, or YSL.

"Through that music, through that blessing, the evidence will show, Jeffery Williams led that group of people who wreaked utter havoc on Fulton County," Love told jurors during her opening statement Monday.

WHAT ARE THE CHARGES YOUNG THUG FACES?

The indictment charges all the defendants with conspiring to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO. Love acknowledged that may sound complicated but told the jurors it’s actually quite simple.

The members of the gang committed crimes, including murder, armed robbery, aggravated assault and theft to further the gang’s mission, she said. Those actions and others that aren’t crimes — rap lyrics, social media posts, flashing gang signs — combined to form a pattern of illegal activity, she said.

"They endeavored to do some illegal stuff to get a bunch of stuff that didn’t belong to them," Love said.

Prosecutors have made clear that they intend to use rap lyrics from songs by the defendants to help make their case. This is a controversial tactic, but Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Ural Glanville earlier this month said he’d conditionally allow certain lyrics as long as prosecutors can show they’re linked to the crimes alleged in the indictment.

Prosecutors have said they’re not pursuing Young Thug and others because of violent lyrics.

"We didn’t chase the lyrics to solve the murders," Love said. "We chased the murders and, as the evidence will show, in the process, we found the lyrics."

One of those murders that is expected to feature heavily during the trial is the January 2015 killing of Donovan Thomas, who prosecutors say was a major figure in a rival gang and whose death is said to have sparked an escalation in violence. Two of the six people currently on trial are charged with murder in his killing, and Young Thug is accused of renting the car used in the drive-by shooting.

What does the defense say in the Young Thug, YSL RICO Trial?

Young Thug was born into poverty in a crime-ridden housing project where he developed a strong distrust of the criminal justice system, Steel said. His family moved to the Cleveland Avenue area when he was 16, and he got out through hard work and talent, Steel said. But he didn’t forget his roots and has been extremely generous with his good fortune, defense attorney Brian Steel said.

"He’s not the crater. He’s trying to pull people out of poverty," Steel said.

Steel acknowledged that his client’s songs mention killing police, people being shot, drugs and drive-by shootings, but he said those are just the words he rhymed and a reflection of his rough upbringing and not a chronicle of his own activities.

"They want you to fear music that talks about killing, drugs," Steel told the jury in his opening statement Tuesday. "It is art. You don’t like it, you don’t have to listen to it. This is America. It is art."

Steel mentioned Young Thug’s collaborations with high-profile artists, appearances on television and numerous awards and riches that came with it. The rapper is so busy and successful that he wouldn’t have the time or motivation to lead a gang, Steel said.

"He is not sitting there telling people to kill people," he said. "He doesn’t need their money. Jeffrey’s worth tens of millions of dollars."

Steel noted that YSL is the name of Young Thug’s successful record label, but Love said the actions outlined in the indictment "have nothing to do with a recording label."

Many of the lyrics, social media posts, text conversations and online messages cited in the indictment have been taken out of context and misrepresented to seem sinister when they are not, Steel said.

He and other defense attorneys tried during opening statements to poke holes in the state’s case, saying that police relied on jailhouse informants who had every reason to tell them what they wanted to hear. They also hammered the state’s use of song lyrics, saying the art that helped their clients better their circumstances is now being improperly used against them.

WHAT HAS YOUNG THUG BEEN DOING SINCE HIS ARREST?

Opening statements began Monday and continued Tuesday before a jury that took nearly 10 months to select. The trial is expected to last months. Only six of the original 28 defendants are on trial after others either took plea deals or were separated to be tried later.

Among those who took a plea deal was rapper Gunna, whose given name is Sergio Kitchens. He was charged with a single count of racketeering conspiracy and entered an Alford plea December 2022, meaning he maintains his innocence but recognizes that it’s in his best interest to plead guilty.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.