The lawyers for the prosecution in the YSL RICO trial got an earful from the presiding judge this week. Judge Ural Glanville expressed his frustration at the prosecution "dripping and drabbing" their evidence while also expanding their witness list by "nearly two-thirds". When the prosecution meekly replied that they would have an explanation for everything at the hearing on November 16, the judge handed down a stern warning. "It better be a damn good explanation or else I'm excluding all of it," he warned.
Major steps were taken in the sprawling trial earlier this week as a jury was finally seated after nearly nine months of selection. The jury is composed of nine women (7 Black, 2 white) and three men (2 Black, 1 white ). Furthermore, barring any further complications from upcoming hearings, the trial is set to begin in earnest on November 27.
YSL Defendants Dropped To Six
Meanwhile, another defendant was removed from the case after accepting a plea deal. Derontae Bebee submitted a guilty plea in exchange for a 15-year sentence but with only five spent behind bars. That dropped the number of defendants who will face trial later this month down to six in total.
And yet, things remain highly controversial in the case. Two weeks ago, the prosecution submitted an error-ridden list of lyrics they intended to use as evidence in the case. The use of lyrics as admissible evidence is a hotly debated topic but is a practice still allowed in Georgia. Furthermore, it's a practice strongly advocated for by Fulton County DA Fani Willis. “I think if you decide to admit your crimes over a beat, I’m going to use it. I’m going to continue to do that; people can continue to be angry about it. I have some legal advice: Don’t confess to crimes on rap lyrics if you do not want them used. Or at least get out of my county," Willis told reporters in September.
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