ATLANTA — The trial involving rapper Young Thug and the alleged YSL street gang continues on Tuesday in Atlanta with a long-running witness who has been on the stand for multiple sessions of court over the last couple weeks in the case.
Adrian Bean, who is a witness in the trial, is continuing his testimony on Tuesday morning.
On Friday, Bean became disgruntled when he was questioned about a 2013 interview with a detective. Attorneys have spent several court sessions asking him about an alleged shooting incident that year.
He told prosecutors he did not remember the conversation he had, and has said several times he doesn't remember anything from 2013 because he was in a dark place in his life at that time, that he has tried to put behind him. The witness also claimed on Friday that he was being threatened due to his ties to the trial.
The trial began in November, following a nearly yearlong jury selection process, and is expected to stretch into much of 2024.
You can watch the live stream in the video player above and 11Alive's YouTube Channel. Court typically starts around 10 a.m.
More on the Young Thug, YSL trial
Back on May 9, 2022, the hip-hop world was jolted with the news that rapper Young Thug - a Grammy winner, trendsetter and Atlanta icon - had been arrested.
It's been nearly two years now that the artist, whose legal name is Jeffery Williams, has remained behind bars. The central charge against him is that three letters with which his name has become synonymous because of his artistic success in launching the "Young Stoner Life" label, YSL, actually signalize a violent gang: Young Slime Life.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis named Williams, among other metro Atlanta rappers and those with ties to the alleged gang, to bring charges against a total of 28 people in a sweeping 88-page indictment. The case alleges that not only is Young Thug among the gang's members, but he is also its kingpin.
"He is the one they're all afraid of," a prosecutor said at a June 2022 hearing. "He's the one that's King Slime."
A long pretrial process passed to an even longer jury selection process, and across this time, the co-defendant list dwindled with plea deals and other circumstances, keeping some of the individuals charged from remaining on the case.
The trial finally began in earnest in November 2023, already considered the longest in Georgia's history.
Now that it is in full swing, 11Alive is keeping track of key developments in the case and highlighting moments in the courtroom. Follow along in the timeline below.
News happens fast. Download our 11Alive News app for all the latest breaking updates, and sign up for our Speed Feed newsletter to get a rundown of the latest headlines across north Georgia.
MORE WAYS TO GET 11ALIVE
- Download our streaming app on Roku and Fire TV
- Download the 11Alive News mobile app
- Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
- Watch live streams on YouTube
