The ongoing legal saga of hip-hop artist Young Thug and the YSL RICO trial remains in flux as Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker weighs the option of declaring a mistrial due to revelations of an ex parte meeting that may have compromised the fairness of the proceedings, according to a report from FOX 5 Atlanta.

Last Wednesday, defense attorneys expressed outrage over what was seemingly the sudden revelation of a secretive meeting held on June 7, 2024, involving the trial's original judge, Ural Glanville, and prosecutors. This inclusion of information was detailed by Atlanta News First, in the turbulent trial that has seen previous judges recused and a jury selection period that broke state records.

Judge Whitaker continues to urge the opposing legal teams to cooperate on witness lists and evidence presentations as court resumes this week, with hopes clear to facilitate a swifter trial progression after a historically prolonged jury selection and the potential for witness testimonies to draw out already lengthy judicial processes; as Whitaker projected a possible jury return as early as next Wednesday, August 7, 2024.

Furthermore, a pivotal moment in the trial occurred when Investigator Long took the stand after lunch to refute any Brady violation assertions, claiming that a supposedly brief off-the-record conversation took place and emphasized that Deputy District Attorney Simone Hylton was never alone with key witness Kenneth "Lil Woody" Copeland, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta.

With the jury potentially reconvening soon, attention is focused on Judge Whitaker's decision regarding a misstep that could undermine the integrity of the trial. This decision comes amid efforts to present YSL not as a criminal enterprise but as a record label, a central issue in Young Thug's defense against eight criminal counts, as mentioned by Atlanta News First.