Prosecutors said they learned of numerous threats against witnesses, who said “they fear not only for their lives, but for their families if they testify,” according to a motion filed this week. Defense lawyers denied any attempt to intimidate witnesses. The ruling, handed down Wednesday by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville, underscores the tense nature of a case that has targeted one of rap’s most famous artists. And it has shaken the creative community from which it emerged in Atlanta, a city known internationally as a major incubator of hip-hop talent. Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, was among 27 people charged in May in a sweeping indictment that identified them as members of a Bloods street gang subgroup known as Young Slime Life, or YSL. Some were charged with violent crimes, including murder and attempted armed robbery, and all were charged with conspiracy to violate the state’s Influence and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO. Mr. Williams was charged with conspiracy and engaging in street gang criminal activity. On Tuesday, Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis filed a lawsuit that said the gang “has a history of witness intimidation” and also noted an incident, described in the indictment, in which a gang member named Christian Eppinger is accused of attempting murder of two Atlanta police officers. The motion argues that law enforcement officers are potentially at risk, noting that a family member of one of the defendants, Quartavius Mender, was recently arrested and charged with threatening Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat and his wife. Mr Mender, the motion states, wrote “#freethug or Imma sh00t u and your woman” and “Imma assassinate you” on the sheriff’s social media profile, using a hashtag that Young Thug fans have used in online criticism against the prosecutors. case. On Wednesday, Brian Steel, a lawyer for Mr Williams, said the artist “has never intimidated or threatened any witnesses”. “However, I look forward to receiving discovery,” he continued, “so that we can continue on our way to clearing an innocent man.” Mr Steel previously said YSL was not a street gang. The rapper, who was arrested on May 9, has refused bond and is being held at a jail outside Atlanta.
