The Fulton County District Attorney’s office claimed that Brian Steel, a prominent Atlanta-area criminal defense lawyer, should be disqualified because he represents some of the other 27 alleged gang members named in the sweeping criminal case. Steel and another lawyer argued back that Young Thug should not be deprived of his “chosen counsel” as he fights for his life in court.
In an indictment unveiled last month, prosecutors claim Young Thug (Jeffery Williams), Gunna (Sergio Kitchens) and 26 others spent the last decade operating a violent street gang called “Young Slime Life” – allegedly the darker alter-ego of their YSL Records label. The case, built on the state’s RICO statute, includes accusations of murder, carjacking, armed robbery, drug dealing and illegal firearm possession against various YSL members.
In that case, Steel only represents Young Thug. But the DA’s office says that he also currently represents co-defendant Damone Blalock in a separate murder case, and that he previously repped defendants Martinez Arnold and Quantavious Grier in other cases.
At the root of their effort to disqualify Steel is a concern that Young Thug and other defendants might eventually develop “divergent interests” – a fancy way of saying that other indicted gang members might later want to flip on Young Thug and cooperate with prosecutors in return for leniency.
If Steel represents both Young Thug and other defendants, the DA’s office says the attorney might have an incentive to block such deals to protect Thug, who they claim is the leader of YSL – or that prosecutors would be wary of offering such plea deals first place.
“If defendants in this indictment wish to cooperate with prosecution and provide testimony against other defendants in that indictment, we are willing to offer deals,” prosecutor Elizabeth Rosenwasser told the judge at Thursday’s hearing. “Our concern is that as a leader of the gang, maybe some of these individuals will be influenced.”
While Thugga’s trial was initially scheduled to begin in January, prosecutors asked the court to push it back to March. “It is unconscionable that the District Attorney’s Office did not provide the Court system with notice that there would be a great need for appointed counsel on an upcoming case well in advance of the return of the indictment.”
Brian’s outrage comes on the heels of Thug’s YSL protege, Gunna, being denied bail on Thursday (October 13). During the proceedings, the prosecution stated potential witness intimidation as a reason to deny the rapper bond. “One of the other co-defendants asked that the defendant Kitchens be made aware that he would be willing to wack somebody for him,” the prosecution said.
Back in August, Young Thug was denied bond for a third time during a heated hearing in which Steele suggested the Grammy-winning rapper is the subject of a law enforcement vendetta dating back to a 2015 drive-by shooting of Lil Wayne’s tour bus.
Young Thug and Gunna are two of dozens indicted in the Fulton County RICO case involving ties to Young Slime Life. Thug’s trial is set for March 2023.
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