Two of Young Thug’s co-defendants may face trial at a later date if prosecutors get their way.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the prosecution filed a motion to sever Kahlieff Adams and Tenquarius Mender from Young Thug’s RICO trial. Prosecutors made the request because Adams and Mender’s attorneys are pregnant.
Prosecutors claimed Adams and Mender’s lawyers have “impending and imminent personal leave of absence” ahead of Young Thug’s trial, which will last six to nine months. Adams and Mender’s attorneys rejected the notion they can’t represent their clients while pregnant.
“I don’t think pregnancy should be treated as a disease or a disability,” Mender’s lawyer Nicole Fegan told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “If Rihanna can do it, I’m sure that we can both adequately represent our clients.”
Fegan tried to sever her client from Young Thug’s case in 2022, but her motion was denied. Now, the attorney objected to the state trying her client separately.
“I think at this point, trying them separately would be expensive and potentially prejudicial because the jury selection process has already started,” Fegan contended. “We’ve been on this case since May, and in May I wasn’t pregnant.”
Prosecutors said Adams and Mender weren’t interested in finding new lawyers. The motion won’t be heard until Tuesday (February 21) at the earliest.
Young Thug and 13 co-defendants face trial in a sweeping RICO case against YSL members. Jury selection is ongoing and expected to take months.
Prosecutors have filed a motion to sever two #YSL defendants from the trial. It might be next week when Judge Glanville will take up this motion and decide whether to grant it or not. #YoungThug @ajc pic.twitter.com/gy5exXtjGQ
— Jozsef Papp (@JozsefPapp_) February 15, 2023