Young Thug and his attorney, Brian Steele, have filed another motion attempting to get bond as the YSL RICO trial has received a new judge, Paige Reese Whitaker. They argue Thug has strong ties to the community and isn’t a flight risk. Additionally, they say he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
“In the Great State of Georgia, unlike other States, for purposes of pretrial bond analysis, the presumption of innocence remains with the person accused of an offense, even a capital offense, from arrest and even during trial…” the motion reads. “That means, prior to and during trial, Courts view the criminally accused to be innocent of the charges waged against him/her. It has been written that the most fundamental premise of our criminal justice system is that the criminally accused cannot be punished for an offense until the prosecution proves guilt beyond a reasonable doubt… Thus, the granting of a reasonable pretrial bond must be preserved. Otherwise, the presumption of innocence, secured only after centuries of struggle, would lose its meaning.”
Young Thug’s Legal Team Arrives At The Courthouse
Brian Steel, attorney for rapper Young Thug, right, arrives at the Fulton County. Courthouse on November 27, 2023, in Atlanta, Georgia. Opening statements are set to begin in the case against 31-year-old US rapper Young. Thug and 28 others, who are facing a racketeering indictment accusing the defendants of a number of offenses that support an overarching conspiracy charge, including murder, assault, carjacking, drug dealing, and theft. (Photo by Christian MONTERROSA / AFP) (Photo by CHRISTIAN MONTERROSA/AFP via Getty Images)
Whitaker took over as the presiding judge in the case after Ural Glanville’s recusal, earlier this month. “I would like for us to maintain a degree of decorum and dignity and professionalism that is what is expected of all of us as members of the bar,” Whitaker said. “I’m here to give everybody a fair trial, a fair shake, and follow the law.” To that end, she’s banned headphones and eating in the courtroom.
Whitaker is currently catching up on pending motions and all that she’s missed since the trial began. In turn, the jury will not return until August 5. Be on the lookout for further updates on Young Thug and the ongoing YSL RICO trial on HotNewHipHop.
About The Author
Cole Blake is currently an Editor at HotNewHipHop based out of Brooklyn, New York. He began working at the site as an intern back in 2018 while studying journalism at St. John’s University. In the time since, he’s graduated with a bachelor’s degree and written extensively about a wide range of topics including pop culture, film & television, politics, video games, sports, and much more. He’s also covered music festivals such as Gov. Ball and Rolling Loud. You can find him publishing work for HNHH from Monday to Wednesday or on weekends.
On the sports front, Cole’s a passionate NBA and NFL fan with his favorite teams being the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Lakers. He also roots for the Yankees whenever he finds himself at Yankee Stadium or the Red Storm when in the company of other SJU alumni.
His favorite hip-hop artists are billy woods, Earl Sweatshirt, Cam’ron, MIKE, and Mach-Hommy.
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