As Young Thug faces Georgia RICO charges, the state has officially responded to the defendant’s concerns regarding a heavy police presence in the courtroom affecting his right to a fair trial.

Fulton County District Attorney, Fani Willis, points the finger at Young Thug and his YSL affiliates for the current conditions in the courtroom. 

The DA office’s statement to the court highlights the numerous disruptions and rule violations from the Atlanta-based collective and their associates, which make the security measures a necessity. Their actions have resulted in 46 arrest warrants. 

Among the incidents are two separate stabbings, contraband ranging from Airpods to illegal drugs within cells and the courtroom itself, threats to deputies, an instance of a deputy illegally communicating with a defendant via Instagram, and a riot at the Fulton County Jail. 

In June, a report from AllHipHop revealed the “Business Is Business” rapper and his legal team, petitioned the court for a change in the “fortress-like atmosphere” to avoid tainting the jury pool. Aside from an abundance of law enforcement wearing tactical gear and carrying heavy weaponry, YSL supporters have been kept out of the courtroom and directed to a separate viewing area. The rapper, Young Thug, whose legal name is Jeffrey Williams, has been led into the court wearing a leg brace. Furthermore, his lawyers have been searched in front of potential jurors.

Williams has been in custody since his arrest in May of 2022. He has been denied bond four times.