In the latest development in the Young Thug RICO case, the Atlanta rapper’s attorney has filed a motion requesting his release on bond.
With a new judge, Paige Reese Whitaker, presiding over the case, attorney Brian Steel is hopeful for a different outcome after previous denials by Judge Ural Glanville.
According to Billboard, the motion was filed on July 23, with Steel arguing that Young Thug, born Jeffery Williams, has been unjustly held without conviction.
“The most fundamental premise of our criminal justice system is that the criminally accused cannot be punished for an offense until the prosecution proves guilt beyond a reasonable doubt,” Steel stated in his filing. “In our society, liberty is the norm.”
Steel proposed several strict conditions for Young Thug’s release, including electronic monitoring, the hiring of off-duty police officers for security, monitoring all communications, and searching anyone entering his home by law enforcement.
“This will prevent any possibility to intimidate a witness or otherwise obstruct the administration of justice,” Steel wrote. “With these parameters in mind, it cannot be said that Mr. Williams would be a threat or a danger to the community or any person or property in the community.”
Young Thug has been detained under what Steel describes as “tortuous” conditions, including 22-hour daily isolation, “inedible food,” and an “ant-infested room” with no view outside.
Steel argued that home confinement with an ankle monitor would be equivalent to custody and confinement, but without the harsh conditions currently imposed on Williams.
“Ordering Mr. Williams to wear an ankle monitor and to be in ‘total lockdown’ in his home is the equivalent to custody and confinement and has been deemed lawful confinement without the punishment imposed by the current county jail conditions wrongly imposed on Mr. Williams,” Steel wrote in the motion.
The jury is scheduled to return to court the week of August 5, and this motion marks a significant effort by Young Thug’s legal team to secure his release as he awaits trial.
