The defense of the remaining 2 defendants continues

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. – After nearly a year of testimony and legal wrangling, YSL RICO trial It’s coming to an end.

Closing arguments for the trial, the longest trial in Georgia history, began Monday morning at the Fulton County Courthouse.

Adam Abbate, chief deputy attorney general of the Fulton County District Attorney’s major crimes division, presents closing arguments on behalf of the state.

The trial initially started with 27 defendants but now only two defendants remain: Deamonte Kendrick, also known as Yak Gotti, and Shannon Stillwell.

Prosecutors offered plea deals to Kendrick and Stillwell, but both rejected the offers after more than a week of negotiations. Last week, the two defendants told the judge that they would not testify in their defense.

Both sides spent the rest of the week discussing procedural recommendations about the charges both men faced and the instructions jurors should receive. The jury was sequestered during those deliberations but will return to the courtroom for closing arguments.

The trial will start at 9 a.m. FOX 5 will broadcast the trial live on this news and FOX 5 YouTube page.

Yak Gotti hopeful for verdict in YSL RICO case

On social media, Kendrick shared his optimism about his release date after prosecutors dropped drug possession and intent to distribute counts.

“See you at Christmas, Thanksgiving God willing,” he wrote. “3 Charges reduced, Also unlimited boost.”

Kendrick and Stillwell still face murder and racketeering charges.

Previous YSL RICO plea agreements and disputes

Young Thug, a 33-year-old Atlanta-born Grammy-winning artist whose name is Jeffery Williams, pleaded guilty to gang, drug and weapons charges in October after negotiations with prosecutors failed. This left the sentence up to Whitaker, who sentenced him to 40 years in prison. walk freely probation with severe restrictions, including prohibition from entering the Atlanta metropolitan area for the first 10 years except in certain circumstances.

The slow-moving case was fraught with problems from the beginning. Jury selection has been made almost 10 monthsand the original judge, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville, were removed from the case in July after defense attorneys filed a motion to dismiss based on a secret meeting with prosecutors and a state witness.

Whitaker took over the case and frequently lost patience with prosecutors for what he once called “bad lawyering.” He and defense attorneys scolded prosecutors for not sharing the evidence sooner.

More than 175 witnesses testified throughout the trial. Prosecutors alleged that Young Thug and two others formed a violent criminal street gang called Young Slime Life, or YSL, in 2012, which they said was affiliated with the national Bloods gang.

On: Young Bandit’s defense hearingDefense attorney Brian Steel said Young Thug was “falsely accused” and the evidence against him was weak. He also condemned the use of rap lyrics during the hearing.

Steel said he thought they won the trial and wanted to stick with the jury verdict, but Young Thug wanted to go home to his family rather than sit out the rest of the trial, which felt like “hell.”

Nine people, including the Atlanta rapper, were charged in the indictment Gunnawhose real name is Sergio Kitchens, accepted plea deals before the trial began. The other twelve people will be tried separately. Prosecutors dropped charges against a defendant convicted of murder in an unrelated case.