American rapper, Jeffery Lamar Williams, known professionally as Young Thug has scored a little legal win during his pre-trial hearing.
The 31-year-old’s appearance before a Fulton County judge on Thursday afternoon was his first court appearance in months.
The rapper was accused of being one of the founders of Young Slime Life, an alleged criminal street gang that prosecutors say is behind murders, aggravated assaults with a deadly weapon, and armed robberies.
His lawyer, Brian Steel, was hoping to not only get a bond for his client but also to argue several motions dealing with evidence and statements made ahead of the trial, which starts January 9.
During Thursday’s hearing, Steel argued that evidence seized in a search of Williams’ home in 2015 during an earlier case should be suppressed because warrants were either invalid or didn’t exist. Police seized marijuana, computers, and cellphones during that raid.
Those phones, Steel said, may have information that led to the indictment.
“I challenged the initial entry into Mr. Williams’ home. “He is the victim of constitutional rights that have been violated, and the state doesn’t get to go back and do it again,” Steel said.
In a big win for the defendants, Judge Ural Glanville sided with Young Thug, ruling that cellphones and other evidence collected from the rapper’s home during that raid couldn’t be used as evidence in the trial.
Young Thug and one of his colleagues, Gunna, along with 26 other people associated with YSL, were arrested in May on RICO conspiracy charges.
Despite accusations of Gunna snitching on Young Thug, the “Pushin’ P” hitmaker’s lawyer claims the rumors are false.
However, Gunna was released from jail after pleading guilty to the RICO Act violation charge against him.