Young Thug has hit a minor setback in his ongoing RICO case — prosecutors will be able to use an old interview about the Lil Wayne tour bus shooting against him.
The decision, rendered by Judge Ural Glanville on October 12, rules that Fulton County prosecutors will be able to use a long conversation Thug had with authorities in July, 2015. The talk stemmed from an investigation into an April 2015 shooting of Lil Wayne’s tour bus. (Thug was in custody at the time after being arrested for an unrelated incident). Thug was ultimately never charged for the Wayne-related shooting. His talk with the authorities about the tour bus situation lasted for two hours.
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Thug’s attorneys attempted earlier this month to get the results of that talk declared inadmissible for Thug’s upcoming RICO trial, arguing that the interview with law enforcement violated Thug’s right to counsel and statements he gave “were not voluntarily made.”
Glanville disagreed. He ruled that Thug didn’t actually have a right to counsel in that situation, because even though he was in police custody, he hadn’t been charged in the case the authorities were asking him about.
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“Because Williams was not charged, and because no judicial proceedings had commenced against Williams, with respect to the April 26, 2015 shooting about which he was questioned, this Court FINDS that Williams’ questioning was not in violation of his right to counsel. Because Williams had not been charged for the [tour bus] shooting in Cobb County, his right to counsel had not yet attached—and, in fact, never did attach because Williams was never charged for those specific charges,” the judge wrote. “Accordingly, this Court FINDS that Williams’ right to counsel had not attached as to the April 26, 2015 incident about which he was questioned… In addition, because no judicial proceedings had been initiated involving the April 26, 2015, this Court FINDS that Williams had no constitutional right to counsel as to any questioning about that incident.”
The judge also ruled that Thug orally waiving his Miranda rights was sufficient, despite the fact that he hadn’t signed a Miranda waiver.
“‘[T[his Court FINDS that because Williams orally waived his Miranda rights before speaking with Detective Raissi and Agent Cunningham, Williams’ statements to them were voluntary and thus admissible,” Glanville continued.
You can read Glanville’s decision in its entirety below.
The YSL RICO case is still in the jury selection phase. It is likely to become the longest-running criminal case in Fulton County history.
