Young Thug Lawyer Alleges ‘Inhumane’ Conditions in Jail, Appeals for Release

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On Friday (May 13), a lawyer for Young Thug filed an emergency motion with the Georgia Superior Court alleging that the rapper has been jailed in “inhumane” conditions and requesting he be granted an “expeditious” bond hearing or be placed in a “non-torturous” environment while behind bars.

“Specifically, the State of Georgia, by and through its public officials, has detained Mr. Williams in dungeon-like conditions,” wrote attorney Brian Steel in the filing (Young Thug’s real name is Jeffrey Williams). Those conditions are said to consist of “solitary confinement/total isolation”; a “windowless cement compartment with only a bed and a toilet and an overhead light which remains on 24 hours per day, preventing any sleep, rest or meditation”; “no access to any type of media,” including TV or internet; and no opportunities to “exercise, shower or have human contact” aside from his attorneys.

Throughout the filing, Steel reasserts Young Thug’s innocence and slams prosecutors for quoting song lyrics to support the allegations against the rapper, which were included in a sprawling 88-page indictment filed against Young Thug and 27 others, including fellow rapper Gunna, on Monday (May 9). “To weaponize these words by charging overt acts to support a supposed conspiracy is unconscionable and unconstitutional pursuant” to the U.S. Constitution as well as the Georgia state constitution, Steel writes. On Thursday (May 12), lawyers for Gunna also criticized the use of song lyrics to back up charges against the rapper, warning it could lead to criminal charges against “any artist with a song referencing violence,” as others have previously argued.

In the indictment, Young Thug is alleged to be one of three founders of the Young Slime Life, “a criminal street gang that started in late 2012” in Atlanta. Charges include “Preserving, protecting and enhancing the reputation, power and territory of the enterprise through acts of racketeering activity including murder, assault and threats of violence.” He was subsequently charged with seven more felonies on Wednesday (May 11), including possession of drugs and illegal firearms, based on items found at his home during his arrest earlier in the week. On Thursday (May 12), a Fulton County judge denied the rapper bond based on that second round of charges brought after the indictment.

https://www.billboard.com/business/legal/young-thug-case-jail-conditions-release-1235070920/