Fulton County’s district attorney praised the job lead prosecutor Adriane Love is doing in Young Thug’s lengthy gang trial, telling her in an email to “ignore the haters” and reassuring her that her job is secure.
Fani Willis was responding to someone who sent an email criticizing Love’s handling of the nearly two-year-old trial. The sender, whose name was not available, sent the email to Willis, members of the YSL prosecution team and Fulton County Judge Paige Reese Whitaker. Willis’ fiery reply backing up Love was distributed to everyone, including the judge. It was discussed Friday morning in court.
Whitaker said she forwarded the email chain to defense attorneys on the case after receiving Willis’ reply and noticing they weren’t included.
“Please ignore this foolishness,” Willis wrote Love in the email. “You have no chance of losing your job and your service is greatly appreciated.”
Credit: Jason Getz
Credit: Jason Getz
Jury selection began in January 2023, and the high-profile racketeering trial is the longest in Georgia history. Love has said she plans to call about 100 more witnesses before the state rests its case.
“Folks who have never tried cases will always have nasty things to say,” Willis told her in the email. “But, while they criticize you from the sidelines, they fear the arena. They are not risking life and limb to keep our community safe.”
Love has been widely criticized for the slow-moving pace of the trial and her demeanor in the courtroom. She was recently scolded by the judge, who questioned the veteran prosecutor’s candor and criticized Love for what she called “really poor lawyering.” The admonishment was made outside of the jury’s presence.
She and others on the prosecution team were also ordered to complete a training on what evidence must be shared with defense attorneys after running afoul of Whitaker on the issue.
It was not clear whether Willis intentionally left Judge Whitaker on the email chain, and the DA’s spokesman declined to comment Friday.
Defense attorney Doug Weinstein said he didn’t think the judge should have been copied on the DA’s email response and Whitaker agreed.
“I understand probably what was behind that communication, and of course it is great for a boss to buck up an underling who has perhaps been attacked or maligned,” Weinstein said. “But I don’t believe that — and I don’t think the court does either — that the court should have been copied on that communication.”
He said the email read “more like a campaign ad” and that he didn’t think it was appropriate. He asked that the state be reminded not contact the judge directly without including the defense.
“It’s a shame the court would even have to say something like that,” Whitaker said, before instructing members of the district attorney’s office not to have any ex parte communications with her directly.
In the email, Willis noted that other states don’t have a RICO statute. She encouraged her prosecutor to “brush your shoulders off and keep your eye on the prize, which will always be justice.”
“I am asking of you to continue to focus on justice and ignore the haters,” Willis told Love.” I am extremely proud of you.”
Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
Prosecutors say Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, is the leader of Young Slime Life, which they contend is an Atlanta-based gang responsible for a spate of robberies, shootings and at least three murders. Defense attorneys maintain their clients are innocent and say YSL is simply the name of the Grammy winner’s record label.
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