The ongoing “Young Slime Life” gang trial, marred by delays from start, had to pause yet again Wednesday, this time due to technical difficulties.
State witness Detective Jason Teague was testifying about a fatal shooting in 2015 when Judge Ural Glanville asked for a 15-minute break.
An hour later, Glanville took the bench with bad news.
“It appears our internet is still out or down countywide, at least on this side of the building,” Glanville told attorneys and defendants before dismissing the jury. “These kind of things happen, it’s nobody’s fault.”
Teague’s testimony will be postponed until Friday. Internet connectivity returned late Wednesday.
Jury selection began on Jan. 4, 2023; opening statements followed more than 10 months later, on Nov. 27. Repeated delays, juror problems and time off has resulted in just over 80 days of actual proceedings, some conducted outside the jury’s presence.
The trial’s length and frequent delays came up earlier this year after defense attorneys filed a motion asking Glanville to limit the state’s witness, lest the case extend to 2027.
Prosecutors initially said they would call 700 witnesses, then trimmed the list to 400 and then 150. They have gotten through fewer than 70.
Glanville warned attorneys that if the pace didn’t pick up, he was open to holding court on weekends. He also ordered for court to start earlier on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays.
The 65-count indictment contains 191 “overt acts” that prosecutors allege were carried out in furtherance of the gang. So far, prosecutors have brought in multiple witnesses — mostly law enforcement officers — to answer questions about each act. Some of those witnesses have been called back to the stand multiple times.
The six defendants on trial, including Atlanta rapper Young Thug, have been in jail without bond for more than two years.
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