The YSL test is over. Two months after Young Thug was released from prison, the largest trial in Georgia history ended Tuesday (December 3) with the acquittals of the last defendants, Deamonte “Yak Gotti” Kendrick and Shannon Stillwell, on charges of murder, extortion and gangs. against them The New York Times exhibitions.
Stilwell, who was convicted of gun possession, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but the judge, Paige Reese Whitaker, commuted eight years to probation and commuted the remaining two to time served. During the years they awaited trial and sentencing, both defendants survived prison stabbings — Stilwell in December 2023 and Jacques Gotti on Sunday. Unlike their co-defendants, most of whom had their cases dropped or made deals to secure their freedom, both Stillwell and Yak Gotti pleaded not guilty and successfully took their cases to trial.
The verdict was a blow to Fulton County District Attorney and Chief Prosecutor Fani T. Willis, who faced criticism for her handling of a case that portrayed YSL as a violent gang with Young Thug at its helm. The prosecution's submission of song lyrics as evidence renewed the debate surrounding the highly controversial practice, and several procedural blunders led the judge to strike out the charge shortly before the case ended. A spokesman for Willis, Jeff DiSantis, said, “We always respect the jury's verdict,” according to the Associated Press.
