Atlanta rapper Gunna will remain in jail ahead of his January trial on gang-related charges after a judge denied his release due to fears it might lead to witness intimidation.
Prosecutors claimed that a co-defendant in the trial offered to “whack someone” on Gunna’s behalf, Billboard reports.
Gunna, whose real name is Sergio Kitchens, has already been denied pre-trial release twice due to Fulton County prosecutors’ fears that it might lead to witness intimidation. Gunna’s attorneys argue that there is not a “shred of evidence” to justify keeping him behind bars before he has been proven guilty.
This means Gunna will remain in jail until his January trial.
When defending his decision, Judge Ural Glanville said, “I still have the same concerns that have not been otherwise alleviated,” referring to his fears of witness intimidation. According to Billboard, when Glanville denied bond for the third time, “the order was met with vocal outcry from Gunna’s supporters in the courtroom, prompting Judge Glanville to threaten to arrest them if they did not ‘settle down.'”
Gunna’s lawyer Steven Sadow fought back against prosecutors and the supposed offer to “whack someone” on Gunna’s behalf, arguing that unverified “proffers” have repeatedly been disproven, and the court should be “skeptical” about believing them.
Gunna and fellow Atlanta rapper Young Thug were charged in May and named as part of a sprawling indictment alleging criminal activities relating to their association with the group YSL, which prosecutors claim is not only a record label called “Young Stoner Life” but also a “violent street gang” known as “Young Slime Life.” The indictment included 28 total defendants affiliated with YSL, charging them with 56 counts related to gang activity and racketeering.
This case sparked media attention not only because it involves two of hip-hop’s biggest stars, but also because it cited their lyrics as evidence of their alleged crimes. Using lyrics as evidence in criminal trials has become a highly controversial practice that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has strongly defended.
In September, Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed The Decriminalizing Artistic expression Act, which restricts the use of rap lyrics as evidence in court in California, which the Black Music Action Coalition called a “crucial step in the right direction” of not injecting racial bias into court proceedings.
In a letter penned from jail in June, Gunna wrote, “My art is not allowed to stand alone as entertainment. I’m not allowed that freedom as a Black Man in America.”
He continued: “I am being falsely accused and will never stop fighting to clear my name. …The picture that is being painted of me is ugly and untrue. … I have all faith that God will grant me justice for the purity in my heart and the innocence of my actions.”
