Young Thug hopes to gain back some of his possessions along with his freedom.
The Atlanta rapper’s attorneys are requesting that the state return several items seized during his May 2022 arrest, including $149,426 in cash, expensive jewelry and luxury cars.
Among the rapper’s fleet is a 2022 Chevrolet Corvette, 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLS Maybach, two Mercedes-Benz AMG GTs, a 2021 Dodge Durango, a 2022 Porsche 911, and a 2015 Can-Am Spyder.
According to the judge’s staff, the court canceled a civil hearing on this matter scheduled for Friday (February 21).
After the longest criminal trial in state history, Young Thug pleaded guilty with a non-negotiated plea in the YSL RICO case back in October.
Young Thug Trial Inspires Proposed Bill in Georgia
The case faced challenges, including the original judge’s recusal due to alleged misconduct and the incarceration of defense attorney Brian Steel for contempt. Despite these obstacles, the trial’s conclusion has prompted discussions about applying Georgia’s RICO statute and the broader implications for artistic expression within the legal system.
A group of Georgia lawmakers introduced a bill to bar or limit what artistic material can be used as evidence in a criminal trial, according to Atlanta’s WSB-TV.
The bill says creative or artistic expression “shall not be received into evidence against [a] defendant in a criminal proceeding,” unless permitted by the court. Creative or artistic expression, for these purposes, includes “music, dance, performance art, visual art, poetry, literature, film, and other such activities or media.”
Furthermore, the bill sets rules and regulations for how artistic materials can be put into evidence, and the process to allow it.
Courts will also have to apply “careful redactions, provide proper instructions and consider the least prejudicial means of presenting the creative or artistic expression” when allowing creative or artistic expressions as evidence at trial.
