Young Thug Denied Bond After Emotional 7+ Hour Hearing
After a lengthy and emotional hearing, rapper Young Thug was denied bond on a RICO charge related to his label and imprint YSL.
In early May, Thug and 27 other members of YSL were arrested on gang-related charges after being named in a 56-count grand jury indictment.
The 88-page indictment listed several objectives of the alleged RICO conspiracy, including, “preserving, protecting and enhancing the reputation, power and territory of the enterprise through acts of racketeering activity including murder, assault and threats of violence.”
The indictment further alleged that the rapper’s “YSL” was not only a record label called “Young Stoner Life” but really a violent street gang called “Young Slime Life,” accusing them of wreaking “havoc” on Atlanta for the past decade.
On Thursday, Judge Ural Glanville of Atlanta denied the bond despite the fact that Thug’s attorneys offered to hire a team of off-duty officers to monitor him 24/7 during home confinement.
Attorney Brian Steel even promised Glanville that the rapper would personally pay for the house arrest expenses, including daily monitoring.
Several witnesses also testified in support of the rapper, including an emotional testimony from music executive and CEO of 300 Entertainment Kevin Liles, yet the bond was denied due to fears of witness intimidation.
Liles went as far as to say that he would financially back the bond conditions if Thug, whose given name is Jeffrey Lamar Williams, did not have the money.
“I truly believe, this whole thing, it’s not him,” Liles said, growing increasingly emotional. “The Jeffery I know, he’ll give me the clothes off his back. The Jeffery I know, I can give him my kids and he’ll give me his kids.”
Liles explained that he was “kind of emotional because of how good this guy is,” adding, “I’m willing to back him personally and professionally.”
Machine Gun Kelly, whose given name is Colson Baker, also testified on behalf of Thug, according to the New York Times’ Joe Coscarelli, speaking to his positive impact on their community.
twist: Machine Gun Kelly is among the people who provided videos to the court in favor of Young Thug’s bond, speaking to his role in the community
— Joe Coscarelli (@joecoscarelli) June 2, 2022
Thug was largely silent throughout the hearing, as he listened remotely from Cobb County Jail.
The rapper asked to be excused at one point during the lengthy hearing, saying, “May I use the restroom? Or I need to be here? I been holding it for a long time.”
People laughed at Young Thug asking to use the restroom during his bond hearing and the judge told them to stop pic.twitter.com/sTGNM1z1xu
— XXL Magazine (@XXL) June 2, 2022
The request for a bathroom recess, which was approved by Glanville, prompted laughs from those watching the hearing. Once the break was over, Glanville reprimanded those who laughed, threatening to remove them from the courtroom following another outburst.
After the recess from the bathroom break, the judge returned and checked those in the courtroom who laughed when Thug askedpic.twitter.com/smLeD5nKVK
— XXL Magazine (@XXL) June 3, 2022
“All are welcome. However, if you feel that you cannot govern your behavior or have acceptable conduct, please, you can exit the courtroom and nobody will be the wiser.” Glanville said. “If you make any outbursts, or statement or anything that these law enforcement professionals in this courtroom deem inappropriate, you will be removed from the courtroom.”
Glanville ultimately denied bond after prosecutors argued that other gang members feared Thug “would kill them and their family” if released on bond.
Prosecutor Don Geary insisted Thug should not be allowed to “buy” his way out of jail, adding that witnesses were already being “threatened with serious violence and death.”
“There have been significant proffers about Mr. Willams being a danger to the community,” Glanville said before giving his ruling. “In particular, the state’s proffer that they have spoken…taken proffers from other gang members and people who are in this particular indictment and not in this indictment that [Thug] is the leader of the gang, he is dangerous, and if he crosses them, he will kill them or their families.”
Steel has since released a statement to XXL.
“I will not stop my focus and passionate pursuit to ethically, lawfully and zealously clear Mr. Williams from these baseless charges,” the statement reads. “We will dissect the prosecution’s argument in opposition to bail and will then file a detailed Motion for the Honorable Court to reconsider the ruling on bond. We will ask for another bond hearing.”
