Young Thug walked out of the Fulton County Jail Thursday night after he was sentenced to time served and 15 years probation.
Prosecutors had argued the critically acclaimed Atlanta rapper — whose real name is Jeffery Williams — was the leader of Young Slime Life, which they said was a criminal street gang responsible for a spate of robberies, shootings and several deaths.
The rapper’s attorneys maintained that YSL, or Young Stoner Life, simply was the name of the star’s record label.
Here’s what Thursday’s developments mean:
Is the trial over? It is for Williams. But there are two other defendants — Deamonte “Yak Gotti” Kendrick and Shannon Stillwell — who have not entered guilty pleas. Assuming they do not strike deals with prosecutors, their trial will continue. Quamarvious Nichols, Rodalius Ryan and Marquavius Huey, already accepted plea deals earlier in the week.
What did Young Thug plead guilty to? Williams pleaded guilty to six charges, including a gang count, three counts of violating Georgia’s controlled substances act, possession of a machine gun and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He pleaded no contest to one count each of conspiring to violate the state’s RICO act and participating in criminal street gang activity, meaning he neither admitted nor denied those charges.
Why didn’t Young Thug get prison time? The rapper has spent nearly two and half years at the Fulton County Jail. Whitaker gave him multiple prison sentences for the various charges but commuted each to time served. She also said if Williams violates the terms of his probation he will end up back behind bars.
Did prosecutors offer a plea deal? Williams and his legal team rejected a deal that would have allowed him to be released from jail Thursday in exchange for a 15-year probation term. They said the state tacked on special conditions they could not accept. So, Williams offered what is called a blind plea, meaning there was no agreement on a sentence and the decision was left to the judge. The judge ended up sentencing him to 15 years of probation with some special conditions
What are the special conditions of his probation?: Whitaker banned the rapper from his hometown of Atlanta for a decade. She made an exception for things like weddings and funerals and said he must also return several times a year to do an anti-gang presentation or concert.
She also said that he could not have any contact with criminal gang members but carved out exceptions for his brother, Quantavious Grier, and the rapper Sergio Kitchens, better known as Gunna. Williams has said the two have a legal contract to work together on music.
(Both Grier and Gunna accepted plea deals in the case, but the rapper’s brother was sentenced to nine years in prison after authorities found a gun in his car outside an Atlanta gas station.)
Did Young Thug speak at his sentencing: Yes. Before he was sentenced, Williams’ told the judge he took responsibility for his actions. “I am a smart guy. I am a good guy and I really got a good heart,” he said.
He also complimented the judge: “Through these last two-and a half years of my life, you are really, truly, honestly the best thing that has happened to me because you made everything fair for me and everybody involved on both sides.”
The former judge, Ural Glanville, was replaced mid-trial.
Over recent years he said he realized the influence he wielded and pledged to use it for better aims: “I understand rap lyrics, I understand how it can be twisted. I understand what it can do to the mind of people … I promise you I am 100% changing that.”
Miguel Martinez-Jimenez
Miguel Martinez-Jimenez
What does this mean about rap lyrics: It’s unclear. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis made waves when she indicted Williams and 27 others on racketeering charges and announced she would use some of his own rap lyrics as evidence against him. “I think if you decide to admit your crimes over a beat, I’m going to use it,” Willis told reporters in 2022. A judge ruled the lyrics could be admitted in the trial. But because the case hasn’t made it to a jury, it’s hard to gauge whether they were persuasive. While lead prosecutor Adriane Love read some of his incendiary lyrics on Thursday, the judge didn’t mention them when she sentenced Williams.
Why did a new judge take over the case?: Whitaker inherited the case in July after the previous judge, Ural Glanville, was recused. Glanville was scrutinized for holding a secret meeting with prosecutors and a key state witness in chambers. Williams’ attorney, Brian Steele, objected to the meeting and filed a motion calling for the judge to step aside. He refused and instead held Steele in contempt. Fulton Superior Court Judge Rachel Krause ruled that Glanville should have handed Steele’s motion to another judge since his own conduct was at issue. Glanville had presided over the YSL case since it was indicted in May 2022.
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