ATLANTA — A Fulton County Superior Court judge has given Young Thug leeway in his probation conditions, which initially banned him from metro Atlanta for a decade.
In a Wednesday order, Judge Paige Whitaker filed an order that if there are no probation violations within the first three years on or before Oct. 31, 2027, Young Thug can visit his home in the city and the specific address given to probation for up to two weeks at a time and up to four times per year, non-consecutive. It adds that he must notify probation at least five days prior to coming to the address.
The order also specifies that his residence will not be revealed by probation on any public website or to the public at all unless otherwise permitted by the Fulton County court during his time on probation.
This decision comes after Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, walked free after entering a non-negotiated plea to some charges in the YSL RICO trial. The rapper later asked the court to change some of the rules of his probation.
He was originally sentenced to probation with various conditions, including an order to stay out of the metro Atlanta area for a decade. In a motion filed last week, he requested permission to visit or live in his home just outside the metro Atlanta boundary.
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In the filing, lawyers for Williams explained that this would allow him to spend time with family and friends in the area, especially for holidays and other important gatherings.
"Mr. Williams has family in the metro Atlanta area, specifically in the Atlanta, Georgia area, and respectfully requests the ability to reside/visit, at times, in his home located in the city in the attached, under seal, document so that he can have family gatherings for holidays and other lawful reasons with his family, friends and business associates, which is a home already owned by Mr. Williams," the motion states.
Williams' probation officer in Fulton County said she did not object to the proposed changes, which ultimately helped his case, as Wednesday's order said the decision was based upon the consent of both probation officers in Georgia and Florida.
In addition to proposed changes in Georgia, he was also concerned about the privacy of his home in Florida. This is because as part of his probation, Florida law requires his address to be made public. That's why the rapper asked the court to seal it as part of his filing because he is considered a public figure.
More on the case
A grand jury in May 2022 indicted 28 people, including Young Thug, and charged them with racketeering. The indictment said the rapper co-founded a violent street gang that committed multiple murders, shootings and carjackings over roughly a decade and promoted its activities in songs and on social media.
A trial for Young Thug and five others began in November 2023, coming to an end finally last week after a year of proceedings. Young Thug was freed on probation in October, and the two remaining defendants in the trial were found not guilty of racketeering, murder and gang-related charges, though one of them was convicted on a gun charge.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.