Inside Young Thug's choice to take a plea deal and reunite with family

Young Thug changed his plea to guilty this week, putting his hands in the fate of a judge. That choice paid off in a stunning decision.

Young Thug sat silently at the defense table Thursday, flanked by his two lawyers as he contemplated the paperwork in front of him. It was the pivotal moment of the rap superstar’s criminal trial that had the entire courtroom craning in his direction.

Facing the potential for decades in prison for allegedly violating Georgia’s anti-racketeering law, Young Thug stared down at the desk when Georgia Superior Court Judge Paige Whitaker asked for him to confirm that he would change his plea to guilty in his high-profile gang conspiracy case and have her decide his punishment.

“Am I misinformed?” she asked. Still, the rapper remained hesitant.

Sensing Young Thug’s struggle, the judge ordered a recess. In private, the Grammy-winning songwriter, whose real name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, continued to agonize with his lawyers about whether to accept a “blind” plea — meaning his defense and prosecutors had failed to negotiate a sentence and he’d instead leave it to the judge. This option only came about after the prosecution made a costly mistake last week, opening the door to a possible mistrial.

About 25 minutes later, Young Thug returned to the courtroom and stood before Whitaker. Yes, he was ready to put his fate in her hands.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/young-thug-plea-deal-georgia-trial-probation-rcna178405

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