ATLANTA — The trial involving rapper Young Thug and the alleged YSL street gang continues Thursday as the jury returns following a day away for procedural matters.
Witness testimony is expected to continue as the week wraps up, following on the conclusion of testimony earlier this week from Antonio Sledge, a.k.a "Mounk Tounk" as well as two other witnesses - Sledge's attorney and a man who testified about the specifics of a car Young Thug rented that was allegedly used in the murder of Donovan Thomas, one of the key crimes in the sprawling case.
RELATED: After testimony, questions about future of plea deal for YSL witness Antonio 'Mounk Tounk' Sledge
Sledge's testimony came after the lengthy, halting testimony of Kenneth "Lil Woody" finally came to a close. Prosecutors hoped Woody would help build their case against the rapper Young Thug and several co-defendants. Instead, his testimony brought months of questions and controversy that dramatically changed the course of the trial.
Young Thug, YSL trial live stream | Thursday, Sept. 12
Recent case developments
"Mounk Tounk" takes the stand
Prosecutor Adriane Love initially said Sledge's testimony would be only three hours, but it stretched over multiple full days. Sledge negotiated a plea deal in 2022 after being indicted alongside Jeffery Williams—better known as the rapper Young Thug—and the other co-defendants currently on trial.
He pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
In addition to 15 years of probation, Sledge acknowledged 16 factual statements that will likely be used to prosecute his co-defendants.
Lil Woody becomes a star witness
Prosecutors hoped Woody would help build their case against the rapper Young Thug and several co-defendants. They allege YSL is a gang — not a record label — responsible for several violent crimes.
Instead, his testimony brought months of questions and controversy that dramatically changed the course of the trial.
Considered a key witness before the trial, Woody largely declined to answer questions from prosecutors after taking the stand, often telling them he doesn't recall events he was allegedly involved in, statements he made, or even things that happened in court.
It became his calling card, so much so that he actually released a song called "I Don't Recall," which is detailed lower in this story.
During his testimony, he said he constantly lied to the police in order to protect himself and his family and that jurors shouldn't believe any of his previous statements. He also told the court he blamed rapper Young Thug for crimes he said he didn't commit.
"The police kept locking me up for whatever they could," he stated. "And they keep bringing up Thug name, so what I did to get them off me was 'Thug did this, Thug did that.'"
Lil Woody, who cannot be prosecuted for anything he says on the stand, told prosecutors that he didn't recall the answers to their questions dozens of times and begged them to leave him alone.
"The police told me they want a big fish. And I'm a little fish," he said. "When they told me that, my only motive was to convince them that I was telling them the truth about this guy in my mind."
In an effort to clear up questions about Woody's immunity deal, state prosecutors called an ex parte meeting with Woody, his fill-in attorney and the judge.
The defense team raised concerns about not being included in that meeting. Young Thug's attorney, Brian Steel, was held in contempt of court and sentenced to 20 days in jail for asking about the ex-parte meeting and refusing to tell Glanville who told him about its existence.
They motioned for the recusal of Glanville — and a mistrial, which Glanville denied. Judge Rachel Krause determined Judge Glanville probably should not have ruled on those motions himself and ordered him off the case.
The case was assigned to Judge Shukura Ingram, who recused herself. Judge Paige Whitaker then took control.
The extraordinary curveball in court sidetracked proceedings for two months.
