YSL RICO Trial Prosecutors Want to Ban Filming Witness Testimonies
Prosecutors in Young Thug’s YSL RICO trial have asked a judge to ban filming and photographing people testifying on the stand and cited online threats made to witnesses as the reason.
According to the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, a motion was filed on Friday that various witnesses, including law enforcement officers, have become victims of “online doxing” and “threatening communications.”
One particular incident occurred last month where live footage of a forensic analyst’s testimony was broadcast with “menacing commentary appeared in the live chat for the broadcast: ‘we will see u later [witness’ name] YSL gunna pop by later.'”
Prosecutors added that the witness received an “ominous” text message from an unknown number following their appearance in court. Law enforcement was sent to the witness’ home for security measures.
“This is not the first time something like this has happened in this case,” District Attorney Fani Willis and lead prosecutor Adriane Love wrote in the motion. “In December 2022, an assistant district attorney who testified for the State at a video-recorded pretrial motions hearing fell victim to online doxing. This witness’ personal cell phone number was leaked to the uncharted wilds of the internet, and the threatening communications the witness thereafter received caused genuine fear for self and family.”
Defense attorney Doug Weinstein called the motion “a thinly veiled attempt to impugn the defendants in this case and hide the proceedings from the public” while also labeling it an attack on the First Amendment.
“The public should be able to view this case and the testimony of these witnesses and make their own assessment of what the State is doing,” said Weinstein. “Whether it be the defendants’ artistic expression or the freedom of the press, the State’s attacks on the First Amendment continue.”
In other YSL RICO case-related news, during a break in the trial, a Zoom bomber expressed their support for the rapper on Wednesday.
“Free Thug! Mistrial! Free Thug! Mistrial!” the person shouted, as seen in video provided by Law and Crime.
