Atlanta Icon Young Thug keeps fighting for his freedom with yet another plea to the judge. Now, he’s tackling his interrogation.
You Have the Right To Remain Silent
It’s been a rough year for Young Thug and YSL. In May, the “Check” rapper and several associates went into custody for a pile of serious charges, including conspiracy and murder.
The 65-count RICO indictment carries a long sentence for YSL members, particularly Young Thug, whom the prosecutors claim is the ringleader. Young Thug, real name Jeffrey Williams, now finds himself in a world of trouble.
Young Thug’s attorney is making some big claims on behalf of his client. According to Brian Steel, a pair of officers interrogated the 31-year-old without reading his Miranda rights while detained in Dekalb County jail.
Young Thug’s attorney pointedly named Cobb County officials David Raissi and ATF Special Agent T. Cunningham as the two responsible. Steel says Raissi and Cunningham began interrogation without notifying him beforehand.
“Any statements which were not voluntarily made were made in violation of [Young Thug’s] Constitutional right to counsel,” Steel expounded in court documents. “Additionally, no mention can be made that [Young Thug] was given the opportunity to speak with law enforcement since this is post-arrest.”
Young Thug Vs. DA
In addition, Young Thug is requesting back his computers and phones after law enforcement took the electronics in a July 2015 search. Seven years ago, Thug allegedly got into a verbal altercation with a security guard that included violent threats. This spurred a police raid into his home, where law enforcement reportedly found drugs and guns. Luckily for the Georgia rapper, all charges from the incident were thrown out due to the unconstitutional search.
In April 2017, the court ordered the return of all the laptops and phones the law enforcement seized earlier. However, Thug never received his belongings.
Ignoring requests from the judge, Chief Deputy District Attorney Michael Sprinkel had the devices searched by digital intelligence company Cellebrite. Brian Steel says there was no search warrant to rifle through his client’s devices following the April ruling. The search violated Young Thug’s “possessory interests in his lawfully obtained property that the prosecution had absolutely no legal right to possess,” as Steel put it.
Light of Hope for Young Thug
Now, the prosecution and Steel are in a tug of war with the seized property. Apparently, opposing lawyers aren’t giving up the devices.
“Instead, without lawful right to keep, hold, inspect, possess or examine Mr. Williams’ property, the prosecution ‘team’ continued to illegally hold Mr. Williams’ property and search these items,” Steel detailed.
There’s been a lot of drama surrounding the evidence derived from the devices. Attorneys are now calling for judge Ural Glanville to suppress its use in court. As Young Thug’s January 2023 trial creeps closer and closer, this may be a helping hand for a case suffering so far.
Written By Dreema Carrington
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