Young Thug's racketeering trial has been delayed until next year after one of his five co-defendants was hospitalized in the wake of a jailhouse attack.
Shannon Stillwell, 31, was stabbed several times on the night of Dec. 10 during a confrontation with another inmate at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, the Associated Press reported.
Shannon Stillwell, 31, was attacked on the night of Dec. 10 in Atlanta's Fulton County Jail.
Jurors were sent home on the morning of Dec. 11 after the trial was delayed due to the ongoing medical issue. They returned on Dec. 12, but Superior Court Chief Judge Ural Glanville determined the trial couldn't continue due to Stillwell's condition. "I’m going to recess you for the holidays today," he said. The jury was instructed to return to court at 9 am on Jan. 2. In the meantime, they're to refrain from reading about or discussing the trial. The holiday break was initially scheduled to start on Dec. 15.
Stillwell was brought to Grady Memorial Hospital. Glanville ordered that the defendant's attorneys be allowed to visit him in the facility once he's medically cleared. After he's brought back to jail, Stillwell will be kept separate from the other inmates. This is the second time he has been stabbed while in jail, WSB-TV reported. Stillwell suffered injuries to his back and his stomach.
The defendant's alleged attacker has been identified as Willie Brown, who was being held without bond after he was arrested and charged with cruelty to children and felony murder in 2020. He has since been charged with aggravated assault and possession of prohibited items, as well.
The Fulton County Jail has had long standing issues with violence. Last month, a lawyer for the sheriff's office told state lawmakers inmates had created weapons out of broken flooring and pipes. The U.S. Department of Justice announced that it was investigating the county's detention facilities earlier this year.
Young Thug, born Jeffery Lamar Williams, is accused of spearheading a gang called Young Slime Life, which prosecutors claim has ties to the Bloods. The Grammy-winning rapper and his co-defendants were allegedly involved in crimes ranging from witness intimidation and drug dealing to armed robbery and murder over the course of a decade.
Stillwell was transported to a hospital for back and stomach injuries.
The initial indictment included 28 alleged YSL affiliates, but Young Thug and Stillwell are among the only six defendants who didn't accept a guilty plea in December 2022.
They were indicted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, the same federal law the Fulton County District Attorney's Office used to induct former President Donald Trump for his alleged election interference in 2020.
A judge dismissed the jury on Dec. 12 and told them to return to court on Jan. 2.
Young Thug and his current co-defendants have maintained their innocence. Their attorneys argue that prosecutors are relying heavily on jailhouse informants who have an incentive to lie.
Authorities have also been criticized for allowing Young Thug's lyrics to be used as evidence in the trial. Many are concerned this could have a chilling effect on lyrical creativity, particularly for Black songwriters. U.S. Congressman Jamaal Bowman, a Democrat from New York, has proposed the Restoring Artistic Protection Act, which would put limits on the practice.
Young Thug is accused of spearheading a gang called Young Slime Life that allegedly engaged in murders, armed robberies and more.
