Young Thug, YSL RICO trial: Jury and Kenneth Copeland expected to return to court

FULTON COUNTY, Georgia. – The jury and state witness Kenneth “Lil Woody” Copeland are expected back in the courtroom on Monday morning to continue the trial against Young Thug and YSL in Fulton County.

There will be a live stream from the courtroom here at 8:45 a.m.

The jury was absent last week because the original judge in the case, Judge Ural Glanville, took a recess.

Prosecutors from the Fulton County District Attorney's Office, defense attorneys and the case's new judge, Judge Paige Reese Whitaker, spent the week reviewing future witness testimony, including wiretap and jail cell recordings.

Witness Kenneth “Lil Woody” Copeland is expected to return to the courtroom so the prosecution can finish its questioning and the defense can cross-examine him.

Copeland was supposed to be the prosecution's “star witness,” but he was uncooperative on the witness stand, initially claiming to invoke the Fifth Amendment, and then spent a weekend in jail and attended a one-sided meeting with Judge Glanville and prosecutors.

This one-sided meeting ultimately led to the dismissal of Judge Glanville and several attempts to remove prosecutors from the case.

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Last week, defendant Deamonte Kendrick and his attorneys filed a motion urging Judge Whitaker to limit the amount of time Fulton County prosecutors currently have to complete their case.

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The trial is already the longest in state history, and the state still plans to subpoena dozens of witnesses.

Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, celebrated his 33rd birthday on August 16 – his second birthday in prison after being arrested on May 9, 2022 along with 27 other alleged gang members.

The state is trying to prove that YSL, supposedly a record label, is actually a criminal gang and that Williams was its leader, which would violate the state's organized crime law.

Williams was also charged with possession of marijuana, cocaine and a prescription drug with the intent to resell. He is also charged with alleged possession of a firearm and a machine gun.

His co-defendants also face charges of organized crime and various other crimes, including murder.

Young Thug and 27 others were indicted in 2022 for violating Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) law and committing multiple violent crimes. After the longest jury selection in history (10 months), the trial of Young Thug and several co-defendants began in November 2023. It is now the longest trial in Georgia history. Prosecutors are attempting to prove that YSL (Young Slime Life) is a criminal street gang responsible for numerous crimes, including murder. Defendants claim that YSL stands for Young Stoner Life and is the name of a record label founded by Young Thug. Young Thug is facing eight criminal charges. The trial was plagued by various disruptions, including illness, the arrest of a juror and an attorney, the stabbing of defendant Shannon Stillwell, the removal of the judge originally assigned to the case, and more.