The RICO trial for Young Thug and the rest of YSL might change in a big way soon, at least for us spectators. Moreover, the state just filed a motion to block the livestream of court proceedings, and their reasoning is quite interesting. Specifically, they name "limitations on the media's ability to video record testifying witnesses during the pendency of the trial of this case." In addition, they reference a December 5, 2023 incident in which "live video footage of the trial testimony of a forensic analyst for the State was broadcast by the media. As this witness testified, menacing commentary appeared in the live chat for the broadcast: 'we will see u later [witness' name] YSL gunna pop by later.'"
Furthermore, prosecutors in the Young Thug and YSL RICO trial want to consider "a substantial likelihood of harm arising from one or more of the identified factors; whether that harm outweighs the benefit of recording to the public, and whether the Court has considered more narrow restrictions on recording than a complete denial of the media's requests." However, they also had specific requests. These include that the courtroom should only allow audio devices for the media's recording and no visual recording of the witnesses at all. Also, they want to court to ban the media from identifying victim and witness testifiers' full names until they complete said testimony.
State Motions To Block Young Thug & YSL RICO Trial's Livestream
While folks may see this move as highly prohibitive, the State does not agree. "To be clear, the State is not requesting an outright denial of recording in this trial," they expressed. "Instead, each of the State's requests is explicitly referenced in Rule 22(G)(2) as an example of a 'least restrictive possible limitation' on recording short of denial." We've already seen how testimonies spread like wildfire online, contributing to our public perception of it.
But many might ask what's more important: public knowledge of the trial or safety-oriented secrecy around it? The answer is complex, but prosecutors and defense attorneys alike want this case to proceed as smoothly and fairly as possible. Hackers already interrupted the trial in the past, so perhaps this move will increase its efficiency. On the other hand, it could leave the public in the dark as they already debate whether these proceedings upheld fair practices. Regardless, with all this in mind, check back in with HNHH for the latest news and updates on Young Thug and the YSL RICO case.