ATLANTA — As a verdict looms in the long-running trial against the alleged YSL street gang, one of the defendants in the case was stabbed in jail over the weekend.
The Fulton County Sheriff's Office confirmed Deamonte Kendrick, aka rapper Yak Gotti, and another inmate were involved in a physical altercation on Sunday, Dec. 1. The incident happened at the South Annex of the Fulton County Jail, which is located in Union City, and not the infamous Rice Street location.
Kendrick was treated for minor injuries from a "sharp object," a release said. He appeared in court on Monday.
The sheriff's office said it is working to determine the aggressor in the altercation and whether charges are possible.
Kendrick's lawyer, Doug Weinstein, says he spoke with him, and he is expected to make a full recovery.
"I spoke to Deamonte last night, and while he sounded tired, I expect him to make a full recovery," Weinstein wrote on X. "I expect to be able to see him in court today and will know more then. Please keep Deamonte in your prayers, along with all those housed in our Fulton County jails."
Last Wednesday, the jury continued a second day of deliberations for several hours. Per Judge Paige Whitaker's instructions, the jurors were excused until Monday and will resume deliberating on Monday morning.
More on the trial
The remaining defendants in the trial, Deamonte Kendrick (also known as Yak Gotti) and Shannon Stillwell, face accusations of murder on behalf of the purported Young Slime Life gang, which prosecutors allege was co-founded by Atlanta rapper Young Thug.
Across a year of trial proceedings, prosecutors presented police testimony, social media posts and song lyrics as evidence to support claims of gang-related activities. The defense countered that YSL is a legitimate music label, not a criminal organization.
There were 28 men originally indicted for alleged violations of RICO and other crimes, a list that has slowly whittled down to the two remaining defendants, Kendrick and Stillwell. The others have slowly peeled off the case, either being severed or removed from it for various reasons (such as not having legal representation) or via plea deals.
Young Thug, the highest-profile defendant in the case, left jail after more than two years last month when he entered a non-negotiated guilty plea to some of his charges in a legal bid to receive a more favorable sentence directly from Judge Whitaker than what was being offered by prosecutors in plea deals -- a move that succeeded.