Jury selection in Young Thug trial halted due to drug trafficking allegations

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Weeks after jury selection began in the trial of rapper Young Thug, who faces gang-related charges in a RICO indictment, the judge is still reviewing the large group of jurors for difficulties in a trial of several months with 14 defendants which has been interrupted several times – most recently on allegations of drug trafficking and smuggling in court.

In a court filing obtained by ABC News, prosecutors charged Young Thug, whose legal name is Jeffrey Williams, and co-defendant Kahlieff Adams of engaging in a ‘melee drug transaction’ in the room. court hearing on January 18 that disrupted the ongoing jury selection process and delayed their trial as they face gang-related charges in a sweeping RICO indictment in Fulton County, in Georgia.

Young Thug’s attorneys say the rapper was ‘surprised’ when a co-defendant approached him in the courtroom and handed him an ‘item’ which prosecutors say was a pill Percocet, a prescription pain reliever.

“Mr. Williams was not knowingly, willingly or intentionally involved in any alleged ‘drug deal,'” Young Thug’s attorney Brian Steel told ABC News in a statement Monday.

In a motion filed Monday, Steel rebuffed the prosecution’s allegation that Young Thug’s actions caused a delay in the trial and argued that this characterization by the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office was an attempt to prejudice the public and the jury against the rapper. .

“The State’s motion was riddled with factual inaccuracies, misrepresentations and was filed, it appears, solely for the purpose of casting Defendant Jeffrey Williams in a bad light in the eyes of the media and the public. , and with the distinct possibility of poisoning the jury pool,” Young Thug’s legal team said in the motion obtained by ABC News.

Prosecutors accused Young Thug in the motion filed January 19 of attempting to “cover up” the Percocet pill – an allegation the rapper’s lawyers called a “blatant fabrication”, claiming Young Thug reached out to Adams for what he thought was a handshake.

Courtroom security video of the incident, which was obtained by ABC Atlanta affiliate WSB-TV, appears to show Adams getting up from his unattended chair and walking towards Williams and placing something in his hand. Moments later, Young Thug appears to hand the item over to a security guard as he approaches the two defendants.

“Sheriff’s Office personnel immediately approached Defendant Williams and demanded that he surrender the contraband he had placed in his hand before placing his hand under the table,” prosecutors said in a statement. the January 19 query obtained by ABC News.

Prosecutors also alleged that this incident led to the discovery of more contraband in the courtroom after Adams was searched.

Adams “resisted the search” and was found with “percocet, marijuana, tobacco and other contraband, wrapped in plastic and food seasoning to make the smell of marijuana” [disappear]according to court documents obtained by ABC News.

Adams’ attorney, Teombre Calland, told ABC News in a statement Tuesday that the allegations against his client are “mere statements made by the state in an effort to frustrate the lengthy jury selection process.”

“Mr. Adams categorically maintains his innocence and looks forward to the conclusion of this trial,” she added.

Following the incident, Adams was transported to Grady Hospital in Atlanta after “appearing to ingest other contraband” in an attempt to “cover it up”, according to prosecutors.

Asked about the circumstances surrounding Adams’ hospitalization, Calland claimed that Adams was “transported to Grady Hospital and then released after being repeatedly tasered by Fulton County officers.”

ABC News has contacted the court and the prosecutor’s office for further comment.

Adams faces multiple charges in connection with the incident, according to WSB-TV, and the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office is investigating the case.

Steel confirmed to ABC News on Tuesday that Young Thug has not been charged in the incident.

Young Thug, a Grammy-winning rapper whose fame brought national attention to the case, was among 28 people named in the indictment believed to be associated with Atlanta-based Young Slime Life (YSL). , a gang that prosecutors allege Young Thug founded in 2012. He is charged with a total of eight counts and has pleaded not guilty.

“Mr. Williams has committed no crime,” Steel told ABC News.

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