Young Thug wears a wolf sweater in court

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - One week after being accused as being the leader of a pack, Young Thug made a defiant sartorial statement Monday as his historic racketeering and organized crime trial entered its second week.

Jeffery Williams - Young Thug’s real name - wore a brown sweater over a white collared shirt that depicted a wolf into the Fulton County courtroom in which he’s being tried, a move Atlanta attorney Joshua Schiffer called “bold” and confident.”

“You’ve gotta love it,” Joshua Schiffer - whose famous red-rimmed glasses have made him a fashion favorite among ANF’s First Alert Desk faithful - said. “When you’re on trial, everything matters. The wearing of this shirt is absolutely intentional; it’s a strong move from a defendant who’s very confident. Young Thug has never shied away from the fame and notoriety and influence he has as a young musician.”

One week ago, Adriane Love, chief deputy district attorney in the Fulton County District Attorney’s office, quoted Rudyard Kipling’s famous poem, “The Law of the Jungle,” to describe the acclaimed rapper as leader of a criminal street gang:

“Now this is the Law of the Jungle as old and as true as the sky;

“And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die.

“As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk the Law runneth forward and back

“For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.”

“Adriane Love is a very competent and senior prosecutor,” Schiffer said. “We’re going to hear [references to] king of the jungle [and] animalistic theme not just from the district attorney team but the defense team as well. The lawyers for the defense are some of the most creative minds out there. I really look forward to seeing how they take this into account.

“This is hot stuff. This is as fun and enjoyable as anything a lawyer gets to do.”

Williams is on trial in Fulton County in a massive RICO case involving himself and five other defendants. Prosecutors allege Williams and five co-defendants are members of the Young Slime Life (YSL) gang, while defense attorneys contend YSL is simply the name of a record label, Young Stoner Life.

The first week of witness testimony in Young Thug’s trial wrapped up on Nov. 30, with prosecutors portraying the acclaimed rapper as kingpin of a violent gang, and his defense attorney ridiculing the notion his hugely wealthy client had any reason to be involved with street crimes.

Juror screening took 10 months and was filled with surreal courtroom antics and pocketbook complaints from attorneys. The trial has already become the state’s longest trial in history.

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Williams is facing eight criminal counts under a federal law that was originally enacted to fight organized crime. Georgia is one of 33 states that has its own RICO law, but in the Peach State, the alleged criminal enterprises do not have to have existed as long as the federal law.

Opening statements began Monday, Nov. 27, 2023, in a trial expected to last at least six months. Prosecutors expect to call at least 400 witnesses.

Williams is also charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute; possession of codeine with intent to distribute; possession of cocaine; possession of a firearm; and possession of a machine gun.

A total of 18 jurors were selected for the trial, with 12 seated as jurors and six alternates: 10 Black women, two white women, three Black men and three white men. The panel of 12 features seven Black women, two Black men, two white women and one white man.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville ruled earlier this month some of Young Thug’s lyrics will be conditionally admitted as evidence. In 2022, Fulton County prosecutors included lyrics from the rapper, referencing drugs and violence, as evidence of an “overt act in furtherance of a (gang) conspiracy.”

Atlanta News First is broadcasting gavel-to-gavel coverage of Young Thug’s trial on its live stream and YouTube channel.

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