Assistant Attorney General Adriane Love.
Photo: Jason Getz/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution via ZUMA Press Wire

One of the defendants YSL trial to have A plea agreement was made. Quamarious Nichols pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the RICO Act, a felony. As part of the plea agreement, the state dismissed the charges, which included one count of murder, two gang-related and three firearms-related charges. Judge Paige Reese Whitaker sentenced Nichols to serve seven years of a 20-year prison sentence; the remainder will be served with credit for probation and time spent in jail. The RICO charge carried a prison sentence of five to 20 years.

Nichols wore a black-and-white flannel shirt, khaki pants and glasses as he pleaded guilty on the podium. Bruce Harvey, one of Nichols’ attorneys, said that while Nichols categorically denied participating in the violence, he acknowledged the true basis of a RICO conspiracy related to past drug-related crimes. Harvey noted that Nichols, who turns 30 in a few days, came from “very humble beginnings” after his mother died in prison and his father was shot by Atlanta police. “He is an intelligent young man who I believe has a future,” Harvey said. Nichols smiled and hugged his attorneys after being sentenced. In a statement, Harvey described the agreement as an “exceptional solution.”

Judge Whitaker postponed They appeared in court following Nichols’ plea, so none of the remaining five defendants, including rap singers Young Thug and Yak Gotti, appear to be taking plea deals at this time. Gotti’s attorney, Doug Weinstein, requested that his client (born Deamonte Kendrick) appear to testify for the defense as a “member of the public,” prompting a recess to bring in the other defendants. Shortly before Nichols’ defense, Weinstein he tweeted Stating that Gotti was “unjustly accused and imprisoned”, “We continue to fight for his freedom.”

Nichols’ plea agreement took action last week When rapper Slimelife Shawty accidentally read the hashtag “#FreeQua” to the jury – which needed to be corrected – during testimony. Nichols’ attorneys filed a motion to have the trial dismissed because he went to Qua and the hashtag could have implied to the jury that Nichols was in prison. “We’re not going to be able to ring this bell,” said his attorney, Nicole Westmoreland. Lawyers for Marquavius ​​Huey, another defendant who went to Qua, also requested a mistrial. Before Judge Whitaker denied with prejudice Westmoreland’s request for a mistrial, which would not have allowed a retrial, he discussed a stipulation to the jury that the hashtag did not refer to either Qua. Whitaker then asked if Westmoreland wanted a trial without prejudice, to which he agreed, leading to Whitaker adjourning. Court was adjourned for the afternoon of October 23 after it was reported that multiple defense attorneys had met with District Attorney Fani Willis to discuss plea agreements. Whitaker has not yet ruled on the mistrial motion.

Plea arguments, which lasted several days, are the latest delay in the trial. Jury selection took almost a year Before the trial officially begins on November 27. Defendant Shannon Stillwell stabbed in prison It led to a month-long delay in December. And in July, The original judge of the trial, Ural Glanville, was dismissed A secret, one-sided meeting was held with prosecutors and a witness on June 10. Whitaker took over the hearing after another judge also overruled him. During experts expected him to declare a mistrialdecided to continue We’re trying to make testing more efficient. After Glanville’s numerous delays. In the months since, Whitaker has criticized and condemned the prosecution for its disorganized handling of the case.