YSL Trial Ends as Final Defendants Are Acquitted of Gang and Murder Charges

The YSL trial is over. Two months after Young Thug walked free from jail, the longest trial in Georgia historical past concluded on Tuesday (December 3) with the acquittal of the ultimate defendants, Deamonte “Yak Gotti” Kendrick and Shannon Stillwell, on the homicide, racketeering, and gang fees towards them, The New York Times studies.

Stillwell, who was discovered responsible of gun possession, acquired a 10-year jail sentence, however the decide, Paige Reese Whitaker, transformed eight years to probation and commuted the remaining two to time served. Throughout their years awaiting the trial and sentencing, each defendants survived stabbings in jail—Stillwell in December 2023 and Yak Gotti on Sunday. Not like their co-defendants, most of whom had their instances dropped or took offers to safe their freedom, each Stillwell and Yak Gotti pleaded not responsible and efficiently took their instances to trial.

The decision was a blow to Fulton County District Lawyer and lead prosecutor Fani T. Willis, who confronted criticism for her dealing with of a case that introduced YSL as a violent gang with Younger Thug at its helm. The prosecution’s submission of song lyrics as evidence renewed debate across the extremely contested observe, and a number of other procedural blunders led the decide to lambast the prosecution shortly earlier than the case wound down. A spokesperson for Willis, Jeff DiSantis, stated, “We all the time respect the decision of a jury,” in line with The Associated Press.