Atlanta rapper Young Thug will not be sent to prison after reposting an investigator’s photo to his social media page with a caption calling the witness a liar, a judge ruled, dealing a blow to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ office.
On Thursday afternoon, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker declined to send the musician to prison after considering the prosecution’s request and reviewing the terms of his probation, but did include a bit of legal advice for Young Thug.
“While the Court does not find that the cited social media post rises to the level of a violation of Defendant’s probation, it may be prudent for Defendant to exercise restraint regarding certain topics,” Whitaker wrote in her order.
The decision came less than 24 hours after Willis’ office had asked that the superstar’s probation be revoked five months after he pleaded guilty in his lengthy gang trial.
In a motion filed Wednesday night, Willis said the musician, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, “engaged in conduct that directly threatens the safety of witnesses and prosecutors” by reposting a photo of one of the investigators in the “Young Slime Life” gang trial.
Willis’ office said gang investigator Marissa Viverito has been the subject of online threats after Williams reposted her photo on his X account along with the caption “biggest liar in the DA office.”
The post was viewed more than 2 million times, along with thousands of comments that prosecutors allege included threats to Viverito and her family. The post no longer appears on Young Thug’s social media account, which has 6.6 million followers.
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez/AJC
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez/AJC
Later, Williams took to social media to say he doesn’t make threats to people.
“I’m a good person,” he wrote on X on Wednesday night. “I would never condone anyone threatening anyone or definitely participate in threatening anyone. I’m all about peace and love.”
Williams’ attorney, Brian Steel, said his client — who won a Grammy Award in 2018 for his song “This is America” — did nothing wrong.
Steel on Thursday criticized the state’s attempt to put his client behind bars.
“The prosecution’s continued improper and unjust targeting of Mr. Williams must stop,” he said.
Steel had argued in a court filing that revoking Williams’ probation over his criticism of an investigator would be unfair. Williams wasn’t accused of doing anything illegal, even in Willis’ filing, Steel said.
“Jeffrey has done nothing to violate any condition of probation,” Steel said. “It is rare that any threats of violence or violence itself is justified. No one should be threatening any witness at any time. Jeffery had nothing to do with any supposed threats.”
A spokesperson for Willis’ office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment late Thursday afternoon.
According to prosecutors, Viverito’s home address and her parents’ home address were publicly posted by other accounts, with one post stating, “If the hate is really real then pull up on her mama crib.” An additional post threatening Willis was made, prosecutors said.
“The escalation from targeting a testifying witness to making a direct death threat against the elected District Attorney of Fulton County is a grave and unprecedented attack on the justice system,” prosecutors said in the motion.
Prosecutors said it was not an isolated event, calling it “a calculated campaign of intimidation, harassment, and misinformation designed to undermine the legal process.”
On Halloween night, Whitaker sentenced Williams to time served and 15 years of probation after he pleaded no contest — meaning he did not admit to or deny — to one count each of conspiring to violate the state’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and participating in criminal street gang activity. The rapper also pleaded guilty to gang, gun and drug charges.
Prosecutors had recommended a sentence of 45 years, with 25 to serve in prison and another two decades on probation.
Two of Williams’ former codefendants, including his brother Quantavious Grier, were sent to prison after violating the terms of their probation.
As part of his sentence, Williams was ordered to stay away from metro Atlanta for a decade. He is allowed to visit the area for family events, like weddings and funerals. In December, Williams asked Whitaker to reconsider his exile so he could stay in one of his Atlanta-area homes for the holidays. However, Whitaker quickly denied his request and ordered the rapper to remain in exile from metro Atlanta for at least three years. He is currently based in Miami.
Whitaker said Williams may return to Atlanta after those three years have passed on his probation if no violations have occurred during that time, but he can only visit that home located “a few miles to the most extreme border” of metro Atlanta for up to two weeks at a time and only up to four times per year starting Oct. 31, 2027. The rapper must notify his probation officer at least five days before going to the address.
In January, a request was made to allow the rapper to travel through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport for the purpose of using the airport for commercial air travel for business and other lawful purposes, which Whitaker granted “solely for the stated purpose and only for the time necessary to effectuate that purpose.”
The trial lasted nearly two years, making it the longest criminal case in Georgia history. It was marred by repeated delays, including a 10-month jury selection process, the arrests of a defense attorney and a courthouse deputy and the removal of the initial judge midway through proceedings.
Fulton County prosecutors were repeatedly scolded by Whitaker in court and even required to take a remedial training course on the importance of turning over evidence favorable to the defense.
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