Crime
Young Thug’s trial halted, defense tries to get judge removed from case
ATLANTA (AP) — The judge overseeing the prosecution of Young Thug and others on extortion and gang-related charges on Monday put the lengthy trial on hold until one other judge rules on requests by several defendants to withdraw from the case.
Attorneys for the rapper and a number of other other defendants filed motions to disqualify Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Ural Glanville after he held a gathering with prosecutors and a prosecution witness at which the defendants and defense attorneys weren’t present. They said the meeting was “improper” and that the judge and prosecutors tried to pressure the witness, who had been granted immunity, to testify.
Glanville said jurors, who’re already in recess until July 8, will likely be notified they are going to not be needed until the case is resolved.
It’s the most recent delay in a trial that has dragged on for greater than a yr, partly due to a series of problems. Jury selection within the case began in January 2023 and lasted nearly 10 months. Opening statements were made in November, and prosecutors have been making their case since then, calling dozens of witnesses.
Young Thug, a Grammy Award winner whose real name is Jeffery Williams, was indicted two years ago in a sweeping indictment that accused him and greater than two dozen others of conspiring to violate Georgia anti-kickback laws. He can be charged with gang, drug and firearms offenses and faces trial together with five other defendants.
Last month, Glanville found Young Thug’s attorney, Brian Steel, guilty of contempt of court for refusing to tell a judge how he came upon in regards to the meeting outside of court. Steel was sentenced to 10 consecutive weekends in jail, however the Georgia Supreme Court stayed the sentence pending an appeal.
During a hearing Monday without jurors present, Glanville said he would release a transcript of a gathering he had with prosecutors and state witness Kenneth Copeland and Copeland’s lawyer. He said he would also let one other judge resolve whether he must be removed from the case.
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Glanville told lawyers he would issue an order transferring the case to one other judge, adding: “I’ll see you in a moment, depending on how this is decided, okay?”
“Your Majesty, do we have a timeline for considering the motion to recuse the judge?” asked prosecutor Simone Hylton.
“I don’t know,” Glanville replied, saying the court clerk would have to assign it to one other judge. “I have nothing to do with it.”
Hylton asked if the case could possibly be expedited, citing concerns about jurors being held “indefinitely.”
Glanville said he understands the concerns and hopes we’ll respond quickly.
Glanville maintained there was nothing improper in regards to the meeting. He said prosecutors had asked to speak about Copeland’s immunity agreement.
Young Thug has enjoyed massive success since he began rapping as a youngster and serves as CEO of his own record label, Young Stoner Life, called YSL. The artists on his record label are considered a part of the “Slime Family,” and the compilation album Slime Language 2 reached No. 1 on the charts in April 2021.
But prosecutors say YSL also stands for Young Slime Life, which they are saying is a violent Atlanta-based street gang with ties to the national Bloods gang, founded in 2012 by Young Thug and two others. Prosecutors say the individuals named within the indictment are answerable for violent crimes — including homicides, shootings and carjackings — geared toward raising money for the gang, cultivating its popularity and expanding its power and territory.
Crime
Luigi Mangione, 26, in police custody in connection with the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO
New York authorities have identified 26-year-old Luigi Mangione as an individual of interest in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
According to police, a McDonald’s worker recognized Mangione in a photograph taken by NYPD Crime Stoppers and called authorities to report that he was eating at the restaurant, which led to his arrest.
Police say Mangione was carrying an anti-corporate manifesto, false identification and a ghost gun.
“It fits the description we were looking for,” Mayor Eric Adams said. An early NYPD report drew criticism online for calling the suspect a “light-skinned male” fairly than simply saying he was white.
The New York Post reports that Mangione previously attended the University of Pennsylvania, was valedictorian of the highschool in 2016 and had ties to Towson, Maryland. His social media posts indicate motivation related to dissatisfaction with the health care industry.
The shooting gained national attention because of the lukewarm response to Thompson’s death from many voters, who criticized the high insurance denial rate and greed that contributed to the American loss of life.
NYPD officers will now travel to Pennsylvania to query Mangione. Watch the entire press conference below:
Crime
OJ Simpson’s audio testimony claims have been proven false
Iroc Avelli, OJ Simpson’s former bodyguard, claimed to have a recording of the late NFL player admitting to killing Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. According to .evaluation of the audio recording showed the claim to be false.
In June 2024, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) contacted the Bloomington, Minnesota police department to realize access to thumb drives confiscated during Avelli’s 2022 arrest.
Bloomington Police Department arrested Avelli for alleged assault in 2022; upon arrest, the police seized Avelli’s backpack and obtained an order to gather relevant evidence on the scene. The backpack contained multiple flash drives that the previous security guard said contained Simpson’s confessions.
According to Peasant! News“search warrant filed in Hennepin County requested by Officer George Harms seek for image pendrives in order that “a full forensic examination could possibly be carried out on all of the pendrives to acquire the recording.”
The Bloomington Police Department didn’t return the drives, opting as an alternative to conduct an internal forensic examination. After a digital forensics specialist examined the drives, Bloomington police didn’t disclose any information of “probative value” to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The further investigation into the Simpson and Goldman murders is strange because on October 3, 1995, OJ Simpson was acquitted of all charges. The former San Francisco 49er maintained his innocence until his death from cancer on April 11, 2024.
After his acquittal, OJ Simpson continued to benefit from his fame. In 1996, the Buffalo Bills player published a book titled If I Did It: Confessions of a Killer. Many found the book’s title and content distasteful and criticized it Naked weapon the actor’s constant presence in celebrity culture.
However, many individuals imagine that Simpson’s acquittal ought to be enough to just accept his presence in all spaces. BLACK ENTERPRISES reports on rapper Cam’Ron’s response to criticism after Simpson was invited on his sports show before his death.
The It is what it’s the host and businessman believes that the accusations – proven in court – shouldn’t result in ostracization. Cam’Ron believes that Simpson’s race may have played a job in continuously questioning his innocence throughout his life.
“Look, if he was guilty, we wouldn’t have him on the show,” he said. “You wish to proceed convicting an innocent man. He is innocent. If it was another person, whiter, you’d all say, “Oh, he’s innocent.” TO BE reported.
It appears that the hearings and investigation into Orenthol James Simpson’s role, or lack thereof, in his ex-wife’s murder will proceed even after his death.
Crime
Suspect charged with fatally shooting 3-year-old on Thanksgiving Day
Tatisha Refuge, a 47-year-old New Orleans resident, turned herself in to authorities after the death of 3-year-old Rudy Ratliff. Refuge is charged with “manslaughter by negligence.”
Rudy’s mother, Leshawn Ratliff, lives in Texas but visited Refuge, her foster mother, in the previous few days of Thanksgiving. Nov 8 News.
“I came here on Saturday to pick up my older son. He was here over Thanksgiving break, and I came down on Saturday to pick him up so we could go home on Sunday and they could go back to school on Monday.” Ratliff he said.
While playing UNO, Refuge’s unsecured gun fell from her belt and fired, striking Rudy. Ratliff she recounted how the scene unfolded when she discovered Rudy had been shot.
“I began seeing blood coming out of his chest. That’s once I knew he had been shot. So I called 911.
The mother didn’t wish to wait for 911. Instead, she decided to take Rudy to University Medical Center for treatment. She said that after they arrived at the ability, Rudy seemed to be alive. Unfortunately, 20 minutes later she was informed of his death.
Tatisha Refuge has been charged with negligent homicide within the shooting death of 3-year-old Rudy Ratliff. #Khou11 @AmandaHTV
https://t.co/BFIeGhAHYG— KHOU 11 Houston News (@KHOU) December 4, 2024
Ratliff she nurtured her relationship with Refuge and is torn now that the accusations involve her foster mother.
“It was a random shooting. His grandfather’s gun fell. It wasn’t within the secure. It wasn’t within the gun position. I believe it went into the pocket and fell out and shot my son,” Ratliff said. “I understand it was a mistake. I imagine in my heart that it was a mistake. I just don’t understand. I just don’t understand.
The grieving mother began a GoFundMe and is asking the general public for help with Rudy’s burial. To support the Ratliff family of their time of need, click here.
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