Atlanta rapper Young Thug could see his seized cash and other items returned by a court deadline Friday after a judge dismissed the state’s appeal.
A Fulton County Superior Court judge said the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, led by Fani Willis, misled the court about why it delayed filing its appeal of an earlier order to return the property.
What’s Happening: Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker dismissed the state’s appeal and ordered prosecutors to return property seized from Jeffrey Williams, known as Young Thug, by Friday at 5 p.m. Whitaker had already ordered the return in August and said Wednesday’s order reinforced that deadline.
- The property includes nearly $150,000 in cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets.
- The items were seized from Williams’ home after his 2022 arrest on gang and racketeering charges.
What’s Important: Whitaker said the DA’s office repeatedly asked for extensions by blaming delays in getting a hearing transcript, but later admitted it never contacted the court reporter to request the transcript. Whitaker called the delay “inexcusable” and said the court and the parties were misinformed.
Key Details From The Order: Whitaker’s order said before the August hearing, the DA’s office declined to split the cost of a court reporter, and Williams paid for the transcript. After prosecutors lost at the hearing, the DA’s office sought to appeal and asked Williams’ attorneys for the court reporter’s contact information, then requested two deadline extensions saying the court reporter needed more time to finish the transcript.
Prior Court Issues In The Case: The order said this was not the first time Whitaker criticized Fulton prosecutors’ conduct in the Young Thug case. During the “Young Slime Life” trial, Whitaker scolded Chief Deputy District Attorney Adriane Love about how the case was handled and later ordered prosecutors to undergo training on sharing evidence with defense attorneys and other professional obligations.
