Lil Wayne Dragged Into Young Thug Trial Over Potential Need For Testimony
Fulton County prosecutors unsuccessfully attempted to introduce videos of Lil Wayne talking about Young Thug as evidence in the YSL RICO trial on Wednesday (May 1). Judge Ural Glanville refused to let the prosecution introduce the videos unless Lil Wayne testified.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Adriane Love repeatedly argued for the videos on a day when Judge Glanville heard motions outside of the jury’s presence. Love failed to convince the judge why the videos should be introduced if Lil Wayne did not testify.
“It seems like you all are trying really hard not to call [Lil Wayne] and that’s your choice,” Glanville told Love, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Jozsef Papp. “If you don’t call him, my ruling will stand on these particular exhibits that you are trying to introduce.”
The possibility of Lil Wayne testifying was related to a 2015 shooting involving his tour bus. Young Thug affiliate PeeWee Roscoe was accused of shooting Lil Wayne’s tour bus in Georgia.
PeeWee Roscoe, whose real name is Jimmy Winfrey, pleaded guilty to six of the 27 charges he faced for the shooting in 2015. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 10 years of probation. His conviction was overturned in 2018.
Winfrey entered an Alford plea for two of the charges in 2020. An Alford plea treats the defendant like they pleaded guilty but allows the person to maintain their innocence.
Lil Wayne will not testify in the Young Thug trial, but the Young Money founder’s tour bus driver Alvin Lewis is expected to take the stand on Monday (May 6). Lewis sued Young Thug, Birdman and Winfrey over the shooting in 2016.
Young Thug’s trial began in November 2023. It is already the longest trial in Georgia history. Young Thug has remained in jail since his 2022 arrest.