ATLANTA — After a week of juggling judges, the newest judge assigned to the RICO trial against Young Thug and several codefendants seems to be here to stay.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker, the third judge appointed to the trial, held a status hearing Friday morning where she laid out some ground rules for how proceedings will move forward.
RELATED: Second judge recuses herself from YSL, Young Thug RICO case citing former court deputy's involvement
Whitaker reviewed several motions, including the recent motions filed by Young Thug's attorneys requesting to disqualify prosecutors Love and Hylton. The judge did not rule on any motions during the hearing but instead asked attorneys to submit any additional motions by July 23 and for the State to respond by July 26.
Most importantly, Judge Whitaker stressed the importance of being "respectful of the jury's time."
After nearly a three-week pause, jurors are tentatively expected to return on Aug. 5, so long as there's no more work needed before resuming the trial.
The judge also set a schedule for proceedings to start promptly at 8:45 a.m. and run until 6 p.m. daily, with the possibility of half-days on Friday.
She reiterated that court would begin on time no matter what, as long as defendants have at least one of their lawyers present.
"When I say 8:45, I mean 8:45. I intend to take the bench at 8:45," she said definitively.
Another important detail discussed during the hearing was the possibility of future plea deals still being on the table. Judge Whitaker encouraged both sides to communicate with each other for potential plea negotiations.
Judge Whitaker also announced multiple rules regarding behavior and court proceedings in an effort to streamline the trial, which is already the longest in Georgia history.
The guidelines include the following:
- No eating in court, with the exception of working through lunch or dinner or if the day goes on longer than normal
- Limited wardrobe for defendants
- Minimize disruptions in court
- Defendants are no longer allowed to use headphones during the trial
- No gaps between witnesses
Whitaker set the next official hearing in the trial for July 30, where previously submitted motions will be reviewed.
Watch the full status hearing below.