Rapper Young Thug's trial and the trial of five other individuals has been postponed until early next year due to an incident at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta. One of the defendants, Shannon Stillwell, 31, was stabbed multiple times during a fight with another inmate in the same section of the jail, according to the Fulton County Sheriff's Office.
As a result of this incident, Superior Court Chief Judge Ural Glanville sent the jurors home on Monday morning, explaining that one of the defendants had a "medical issue." He instructed them to return the following morning.
However, on Tuesday, Judge Glanville informed the jurors that the "medical issue still exists" and it may take some time to resolve it. Therefore, he decided to recess the trial for the holidays, despite initially planning for a break starting at the end of the proceedings on Friday until the new year.
Judge Glanville instructed the jurors to return to court on January 2nd at 9 a.m. and advised them not to read or discuss anything related to the trial during the interim period.
The trial, which involves racketeering conspiracy charges against Stillwell, Young Thug, and four others, began last month after approximately 10 months of jury selection.
After the stabbing incident, Stillwell was immediately taken to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. In response, Glanville issued an order for hospital staff to allow his attorneys to visit him at the hospital, as long as it is medically cleared. Glanville also ordered that Stillwell be kept separate from other defendants in the case once he is returned to the jail.
The jail has a history of violence and other issues. In fact, a lawyer for the sheriff's office recently informed state lawmakers that inmates had been creating weapons out of broken flooring and pipes. This led to the U.S. Department of Justice launching an investigation into the detention conditions in Fulton County earlier this year.
Prosecutors have accused Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, of leading a violent street gang known as Young Slime Life, or YSL. They claim that the gang was responsible for numerous crimes, including killings, shootings, and carjackings, over a span of about ten years. According to the prosecutors, Young Thug used his successful music career and social media presence to promote the gang and establish its dominance.
However, defense attorneys have raised concerns about the reliance on jailhouse informants who may have had ulterior motives to provide incriminating information. They have also criticized the prosecutors' use of rap lyrics as evidence, arguing that it infringes on their clients' artistic expression and freedom of speech.
