by Cedric ‘BIG CED’ Thornton
It’s already been touted as the longest trial in Georgia’s history, the RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) trial of Young Thug and his YSL (Young Stoner Life Records, although prosecutors claim it’s the acronym for the Young Slime Life gang) crew is slated to pick back up on Wednesday, March 13.
Last week, Brian Steele, the attorney for Jeffery Williams, better known as Young Thug, brought to the attention of the court a Supreme Court ruling that overturned a murder conviction against a rapper because a 33-second rap music video presented to the jury was more prejudicial than probative. Steele wants to use the judgment as an example for the court to strike lyrics and videos by Young Thug and his associates from evidence in this trial.
Steel submitted to Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Ural Glanville the entire decision in Baker v. State.
In November last year, Judge Glanville ruled that lyrics that the recording artist rapped in sound recordings could be used as evidence against him and his associates. Previous to this case, efforts had been made to disallow prosecutors from using lyrics written by rappers against them in a court of law.
Source: Black Enterprise
