Young Thug — Defense Attorney In Rapper’s RICO Trial Tells Judge ‘It’s Cap, To Be Honest’ During Verbal Exchange In Court
Young Thug — Defense Attorney In Rapper’s RICO Trial Tells Judge ‘It’s Cap, To Be Honest’ During Verbal Exchange In Court
The YSL RICO trial in Fulton County, which features star rapper Young Thug, continues as jury selection drags into a fourth month.
According to reports, while addressing the judge presiding over the Young Thug/YSL RICO case, one of the court-appointed defense attorneys was seemingly too comfortable and told the judge that a previous assertion was “cap,” which is a slang word for lie.
The attorney said,
“So, I will start by saying that this assertion that I did not mention before pre argument,”
The judge stopped him and responded with,
“Don’t worry about that. Because I’d have to do it anyway. So, don’t even worry about that, okay?”
The attorney added,
“Okay. I was saying that it’s just not true. It’s cap, to be honest.”
One of the court-appointed defense attorneys in the YSL trial tells the judge “it’s cap, to be honest”
More: “To be honest, I could make more money working at Chick-fil-A as a cashier,” he said last week, when interviewed about the low trial wageshttps://t.co/jTyRkCxOxP pic.twitter.com/fB7QNcwYK4
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) April 17, 2023
The comments appear to come from defense attorney Justin Hill, who said last week that he would be making more money working in fast food than on the trial.
Reportedly, Justin Hill was appointed by the Georgia Public Defender Council to represent one of the 14 defendants facing trial in the sweeping gang case centered around Young Thug, 31, and his alleged associates. Justin Hill is reportedly being paid $15,000 to represent his client at trial, regardless of how long that might take.
Hill has had to put his other cases on hold to focus on the YSL gang and racketeering trial, reports state. In a recent interview about the low trial wages, he shared,
“To be honest, I could make more money working at Chick-fil-A as a cashier.”
After initially taking the case for $7,500, Hill reportedly said his pay was doubled because the trial is expected to last nearly a year. However, he said he would have given the case more thought had he known how time-consuming it would be, despite the increased pay.
Hill, who represents defendant Damone Blalock, explained,
“For at least a year’s worth of full-time work, that’s essentially less than minimum wage. We’re basically in court all day every day so I can’t do much for my other cases. That all has to be done on nights and weekends.”
Even with the lack of pay, the lawyer reportedly said he has no intention of withdrawing from the YSL case. But, the amount of work and attention the trial requires of him limits his ability to take on new clients and support himself financially. Hill said,
“I don’t think any of us want to come off this case. We just need to be adequately compensated.”
He also mentioned that every criminal defendant is entitled to effective counsel, even if they can’t afford to pay for it. Hill reportedly said the state is sending an “interesting message” by placing the fate of certain defendants in the hands of attorneys willing to,
“take a case for pennies out of the kindness of their heart.”
As we previously reported, Young Thug, fellow Atlanta rapper Gunna, 29, and more than 20 other associated individuals were detained back in May 2022 based on charges of participation in street gang activity and conspiring to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
Thug is accused of leading Young Slime Life (YSL), an alleged violent street gang that used drugs and committed murders to make money. However, defense attorneys argue Thug is just an artist falsely accused of being a criminal. Defendants in the case claim that YSL is not a criminal entity. The trial is expected to last 6–9 months and is still in the process of jury selection.
What are your thoughts on the YSL RICO case thus far? Let us know below!
[VIA]