ATLANTA — The YSL RICO trial resumed Monday with another threat of a mistrial and it is evident, Judge Paige Reese Whitaker is fed up.
The trial, which was paused last week in anticipation of Hurricane Helene, continued Monday morning with rising tensions as Whitaker delivered fiery remarks to the prosecution suggesting the team is "so unorganized, that you are throwing this case together as you try it."
"I can't figure out what it is," Whitaker said to prosecutors in the courtroom Monday afternoon. "But it is baffling to me that somebody with the number of years of experience that you have, time after time after time, continues to seemingly purposefully hide the ball to the extent that you possibly can for as long as you possibly can."
Whitaker appeared frustrated as she shared strong words with Chief Deputy District Attorney Adriane Love over how she was handling the case. The judge's words were in response to a dispute over hearsay evidence the prosecution attempted to introduce via a witness. Atlanta rapper Young Thug's attorney, Keith Adams, called for a mistrial.
"This case is being made much more difficult for everybody because of the haphazard way in which it is being presented," Whitaker said to Love before calling for a recess.
Upon her return, Whitaker ultimately denied the motion, saying she didn't believe Love was trying to get a mistrial just to try the case again. She explained that she hoped it was just "poor lawyering" from the prosecution.
Still, this latest rise in tension is just another sign of Whitaker's frustration over the prosecution of the case. Since taking over the case last month, the judge has pointed out its handling and what she's called unnecessary delays. This trial is already the longest in state history - with no end in sight.
Young Thug, the Atlanta rapper at the center of the high-profile trial, is accused of being the cofounder and kingpin of Young Slime Life. The Fulton County District Attorney's Office has brought charges, alleging YSL is a criminal street gang. Young Thug, whose legal name is Jeffery Williams, was arrested in May 2022.