Atlanta – Three years after Atlanta rapper Young thug And another 27 were accused of gangs and extortion charges, followed by a long and problem -planted trial, no one will be convicted of murder.
When Fulton County District Prosecutor, Fani Willis, announced the accusation in May 2022, said his office was taking energetic measures against a violent street gang responsible for multiple murders led by Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams.
But Willis withdrew the only remaining murder position on Monday after the defendant Faller McMullen declared himself guilty of a minor aggravated assault position. Young Thug went home on October 31 after pleading guilty For gangs, drugs and weapons and remain on probation.
The prosecutors alleged that Young Thug and two others founded The Street Gang Young Slime Life, who associated with Bloods Street Gang, in 2012. The 33 -year -old artist has a record label called Young Stoner Life, which prosecutors alleged that he was linked to Young Slime Life.
Prosecutors attracted Iare for using song lyrics and publications on social networks in their case. The lawyer Doug Weinstein, who represented the defendant Deamonte Kendrick, who raps under the name of Yak Gotti, said the prosecutors attacked the men who pursued the music as an exit of difficulties in “private” Atlanta areas “economically and tried to” resort to them, retain them again. “
“Whatever they have done in their youth, and I would say that most of them did nothing, that prosecutors are signed up in this way is simply incorrect,” said Weinstein. “Whatever you think of your music, violence, misogynist lyrics, that is not a reason to chase these types.”
Weinstein continued, adding: “People like my client, Mr. Kendrick, had to be imprisoned for 2 1/2 years or more, in the case of some of these defendants, for a crime they did not do.”
Kendrick He was stabbed In jail. He was one of the two defendants who did not make guilt offers, and the only clear of all positionsIncluding a murder position in the death of 2015 of the member of the rival gang, Donovan Thomas Jr., known as “Big Nut”.
In a statement to The Associated Press, Willis spokesman Jeff Disantis said that “Anti-Gang efforts” have thrown “more than 400 gangiers sentences” since Willis became a district prosecutor, including 19 people in this case. These efforts were “key” to make Fulton County “safer, taking the dangerous criminals from the streets and sending a message that the activity of the gangs will not be tolerated in our community,” he said.
Willis prosecuted the case using the broad anti-racketing law. Critics say that the use of that law caused a messy judgment by attacking dozens of people with different levels of supposed guilt. The anti-racking law allows prosecutors to present evidence that they could not otherwise allow, what some defense lawyers say that prosecutors have irrelevant material to the jury. Often it also leads people who stop in jail for multiple reasons.
“He made everything much more complicated and cumbersome,” said Max Schardt, a defense lawyer from the defendant Shannon Stillwell.
Stillwell was among the five encodes who were tried with Young Thug As of November 2023.
After Young Thug and the others declared themselves guilty, Stillwell and Kendrick were the only ones who risked with a jury. they were Found not guilty of positions related to organized crime, murder and gangs in December. Stillwell was declared only guilty of possession of weapons. The verdict occurred almost two years after the jury selection began.
Nine other defendants, including the rapper GunnaAccepted guilt agreements before the trial began. Prosecutors withdrew charges against a defendant after being convicted of murder in an unrelated case. Twelve accused were divided from the original trial, and the charges against six of them were dismissed in early December. Another recently received a dismissed murder position after entering an Alford statement, which allows him to maintain his innocence while acknowledging that it is the best for his guilty guilt.
McMullen, who was also accused of murder in the murder of Thomas, filed an Alford statement to a minor minor aggression position and another charge of violating the anti-racketing law. A judge in this case sentenced him to 40 years, with 20 to be attended in confinement at the same time as the sentence he is already complying, and 20 suspended for the time fulfilled. That leaves a remaining defendant accused of shooting and hurting an Atlanta police officer in February 2022 while on probation. Your destination is expected to be determined soon.
The defense lawyer of Atlanta, Andrew Fleischman, who was not involved in the case, said that Willis could have secured guilty statements years ago without a long and expensive judgment if he had not used the anti-racking law.
“He went to a homer and didn’t understand it,” Fleischman said.
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Kramon is a member of Associated Press’s body/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America It is a non -profit national service program that places journalists in local writing rooms to inform about undercover issues. Follow Kramon in X: @Charlottekramon.
