Young Thug is being held in "dungeon-like conditions" and deserves release on bond or more humane treatment while fighting his "unconscionable and unconstitutional" RICO indictment, the Atlanta rapper's lawyer says.
In a new emergency motion filed Friday and obtained by Rolling Stone , lawyer Brian Steel says his client has been placed in "solitary confinement" in a Georgia jail, relegated to a "windowless cement compartment with only a bed and a toilet and an overhead light which remains on 24 hours per day." He says the musician, born Jeffery Williams, can't sleep, rest, or mediate due to the disorienting environment and has "no opportunity to exercise, shower or have human contact."
"Mr. Williams, an innocent man, who is wholly isolated from the world, must obtain immediate relief," Steel writes in the motion.
Williams, 30, was arrested Monday on felony charges alleging violations of Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statute. Fulton County prosecutors claim he's a co-founder of a criminal street gang called Young Slime Life. They allege the group, also known as YSL, conspired to carry out crimes ranging from drug dealing, carjacking and armed robbery to assault with a deadly weapon and murder.
In a controversial move , prosecutors cited lyrics from some of the Grammy-winning rapper's songs in the 56-count indictment that named 28 defendants, including fellow Atlanta rapper Gunna .
In his Friday motion, Steel blasted the attempt to portray Williams' lyrics as "overt" evidence he participated in conduct "in furtherance of the conspiracy." He says Williams was "lawfully exercising his freedom of speech and expression in his profession as a musical artist" when he recorded the songs.
"To weaponize these words by charging overt acts to support a supposed conspiracy is unconscionable and unconstitutional pursuant to the First and Fourteenth Amendment rights under the United States Constitution," he writes.
Steel particularly disputes the allegation in the indictment claiming Williams bears some responsibility for the Jan. 10, 2015 murder of rival gang member Donovan Thomas Jr. because he rented a 2014 silver Infiniti Q50 sedan allegedly linked to the slaying.
"The indictment alleges that over seven years ago, Mr. Williams rented a vehicle from Hertz Rent-A-Car on a date unknown. and other persons, days later, supposedly used this rented vehicle to commit the crime of murder. There is no allegation by the grand jury that Mr. Williams had knowledge of this crime, had knowledge that this rented vehicle would be used in any supposed crime or that Mr. Williams was a party to this supposed crime," he argues.
A spokesman for the Fulton County District Attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Rolling Stone on Friday.
If convicted of a RICO charge, Williams could face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Gunna's lawyers filed a similar bond motion this week seeking to spring the "Drip Too Hard" hitmaker from custody.
"It is intensely problematic that the state relies on song lyrics as part of its allegations. These lyrics are an artist's creative expression and not a literal recounting of facts and circumstances. Under the state's theory, any artist with a song referencing violence could find herself the victim of a RICO indictment," the motion reads.
- Ghislaine Maxwell is losing her hair and her weight has dropped 15lbs due to 'onerous' jail conditions, claim her lawyers ahead of today's bail attempt
- Federal Bureau of Prisons defends Ghislaine Maxwell’s jail conditions
- Rapist Joseph McCann was free to attack 11 victims due to series of blunders from 'unstable' team of probation staff – despite saying he wanted a 'clean young girl' after being released from jail, damning report finds
- As gleeful lawyers celebrate successfully preventing criminals from being deported to Jamaica... a nauseating insight into the legal jamboree that's infuriated Britain
- Convicted terrorist, 27, who REFUSED to tell Manchester Arena inquiry about his contact with bomber in the months before blast will be FREED from jail this week
- BMW driving thug who abused elite private school boys on a bus and threw punches at a 15-year-old boy after a minor fender-bender is blasted as a 'coward' by a judge
- Surgeon accused of sexually assaulting 300 young children - mainly his hospital patients - in France's biggest paedophile case is jailed for 15 years
- 'What a result!': The human rights 'leftie lawyers' celebrating after Priti Patel raged at them for grounding Jamaica-bound deportation flight - meaning two rapists and a murderer among 23 criminals still in UK
- Sadistic killer who made legal history by becoming first person to be convicted of same murder TWICE is jailed for life over deaths of two pensioners
- Labour, lawyers and luvvies block bid to deport rapists: Murderer and sex criminals were among 23 crooks spared from boarding flight to Jamaica at the last minute
- Jailed activist Navlakha's spectacles 'stolen'
- An infant dies, a millionaire doctor calls 911, and a tale emerges of drugs, love and suspected crime
- Priti Patel blasts lefty lawyers and ‘do-gooding’ celebs for keeping Jamaican killers & rapists in UK
- Inside Rose and Fred West's horrifying sex dungeon where they tortured and killed victims
- Fuming Priti Patel lists horrendous crimes of murderers and rapists who are STILL in Britain after 'lefty lawyers' force flight sending Jamaican serious criminals home to take off with just 13 of the 57 deportees on board
- Inadequate court software still gets people wrongly arrested, lawyers say
- Celebs and lefty lawyers kept 23 dangerous criminals including rapists and killers in the UK
- LA district attorney's push to halt death penalty prosecutions, reduce cash bail blasted as 'disastrous'
- Home Office 'will deport dozens of Channel migrants to France, Germany and Spain this week' - as lawyers launch a fresh bid to block their removal
- Moors Murders files: Newly uncovered Myra Hindley letters accuse Ian Brady of drugging, raping and beating her
Young Thug’s Lawyer Blasts His ‘Dungeon-Like’ Jail Conditions in Emergency Filing have 976 words, post on www.rollingstone.com at May 13, 2022. This is cached page on Movie News. If you want remove this page, please contact us.