Judge Declines to Jail Young Thug Over Critical Social Media Post

An order from Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker issued Thursday states that rapper Young Thug, born Jeffery Williams, did not violate his probation conditions by reposting a social media message critical of a district attorney's investigator. The judge advised Williams to use discretion on social media moving forward.

An Atlanta judge decided Thursday not to revoke rapper Young Thug’s probation despite prosecutors' efforts to return him to prison over his reposting of a viral social media message that criticized a district attorney’s investigator.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker issued a carefully worded order, advising Young Thug — whose legal name is Jeffery Williams — to use discretion online but ultimately concluding that his actions did not violate probation conditions.

“While the Court does not find that the cited social media post rises to the level of a violation of Defendant’s probation, it may be prudent for Defendant to exercise restraint regarding certain topics,” Judge Whitaker wrote.

Prosecutors argued that Williams violated probation terms when he reposted a viral tweet featuring a photograph of Marissa Viverito, an investigator from the Fulton County District Attorney’s office, labeling her as the “biggest liar in the DA office.” Viverito had previously testified in Williams' criminal trial. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis claimed the repost threatened the safety and integrity of a witness involved in Williams’ high-profile case.

Williams’ lead attorney, Brian Steel, vigorously contested the prosecution’s position, stating there was no factual or legal basis for the probation revocation attempt.

“The prosecution’s motion to revoke Mr. Williams’ probation fails, on its face, to allege any conduct by Mr. Williams that would rise to a violation of the probationary sentence,” Steel wrote in a response filed Thursday. “There is no violation of Mr. Williams’ probation by reposting an image on social media and opining that Investigator Viverito is untruthful.”

Williams himself took to the social media platform X following news of the prosecutors' filing to clarify his intentions, stating: “I don’t make threats to people, I’m a good person. I would never condone anyone threatening anyone or definitely participate in threatening anyone. I’m all about peace and love.”

Williams had previously been incarcerated for more than two years awaiting trial on drug, gang, and gun charges. In October, he accepted an open plea agreement, receiving a sentence of time served plus 15 years probation, along with a conditional consecutive sentence of 20 additional years contingent upon violating his probation terms.

Now free to continue his music career, Williams, 33, is scheduled to co-headline the Summer Smash Festival this June alongside Don Toliver, Yeat, and Future. It will mark his first live performance since his release.