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ATLANTA — Deliberations are underway in Atlanta after a 12 months of testimony within the gang and racketeering trial that initially included the rapper Younger Thug.
Jurors are contemplating whether or not to convict Shannon Stillwell and Deamonte Kendrick, who raps as Yak Gotti, on gang, homicide, drug and gun costs. The unique indictment charged 28 individuals with conspiring to violate Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.
Opening statements within the trial for six of these defendants occurred a 12 months in the past. 4 of them, together with Younger Thug, pleaded responsible final month. The rapper was freed on probation. Stillwell and Kendrick rejected plea offers after greater than every week of negotiations, and their legal professionals selected to not current proof or witnesses.
Each gave the impression to be in good spirits Tuesday morning after closings wrapped the earlier evening. Kendrick was chatting and laughing with Stillwell and his legal professionals earlier than the jury arrived for directions.
The jury began deliberating Tuesday afternoon and was dismissed at 5 p.m. Jurors are anticipated to renew deliberations Wednesday morning. In the event that they don’t attain a verdict by three p.m. Wednesday, the decide will ship them house for the Thanksgiving weekend and they’ll return Monday morning.
Kendrick and Stillwell have been charged within the 2015 killing of Donovan Thomas Jr., often known as “Huge Nut,” in an Atlanta barbershop.
Prosecutors painted Stillwell and Kendrick as members of a violent road gang referred to as Younger Slime Life, or YSL, co-founded in 2012 by Younger Thug, whose actual identify is Jeffery Williams. Throughout closings on Monday, they pointed to tattoos, tune lyrics and social media posts they stated proved members, together with Stillwell, admitted to killing individuals in rival gangs.
Prosecutors say Thomas was in a rival gang. Stillwell was additionally charged within the 2022 killing of Shymel Drinks, which prosecutors stated was in retaliation for the killing of two YSL associates days earlier.
Protection attorneys Doug Weinstein and Max Schardt stated the state offered unreliable witnesses, weak proof and cherry-picked lyrics and social media posts to push a false narrative about Stillwell, Kendrick and the members of YSL.
Schardt, Stillwell’s lawyer, reminded the jury that alleged YSL associates stated through the trial that that they had lied to police. Regulation enforcement performed a “sick sport” by promising they might escape lengthy jail sentences in the event that they stated what police wished them to say, Schardt stated. He theorized that a kind of witnesses may have killed Thomas.
The reality is that their purchasers have been simply attempting to flee poverty by way of music, Schardt stated.
“As an entire, we all know the struggles that these communities have had,” Schardt stated. “A tragic, tacit acceptance that it’s both rap, jail or demise.”
Younger Thug’s document label is often known as YSL, an acronym of Younger Stoner Life. Kendrick was featured on two widespread songs from the label’s compilation album Slime Language 2, “Take It to Trial” and “Slatty,” which prosecutors offered as proof within the trial.
Weinstein, Kendrick’s protection lawyer, stated throughout closings it was fallacious for prosecutors to focus on the defendants for his or her music and lyrics. Prosecutor Simone Hylton disagreed, and stated surveillance footage and cellphone proof supported her case.
“They’ve the audacity to assume they’ll simply brag about killing any person and no person’s gonna maintain them accountable,” Hylton stated.
The trial had greater than its justifiable share of delays. Jury choice took almost 10 months, and Stillwell was stabbed final 12 months on the Fulton County jail, which paused trial proceedings.
Decide Paige Reese Whitaker took over after Fulton County Superior Court docket Chief Decide Ural Glanville was faraway from the case in July as a result of he had a gathering with prosecutors and a state witness with out protection attorneys current.
Whitaker usually misplaced persistence with prosecutors over strikes comparable to not sharing proof with protection attorneys, as soon as accusing them of “poor lawyering.” However the trial sped up beneath her watch.
In October, 4 defendants, together with Younger Thug, pleaded responsible, with the rapper getting into a non-negotiated or “blind” plea, which means he did not have a deal labored out with prosecutors.
9 individuals charged within the indictment, together with rapper Gunna, accepted plea offers earlier than the trial started. Expenses towards 12 others are pending. Prosecutors dropped costs towards one defendant after he was convicted of homicide in an unrelated case.
Kramon is a corps member for The Related Press/Report for America Statehouse Information Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit nationwide service program that locations journalists in native newsrooms to report on undercovered points. Observe Kramon on X: @charlottekramon
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