In a significant ruling on April 3, 2025, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker denied District Attorney Fani Willis’s motion to revoke the probation of Grammy Award-winning rapper Jeffery Williams, known professionally as Young Thug. The motion was based on allegations that Williams’s social media activity endangered a key witness and compromised ongoing legal proceedings.
The controversy stemmed from an April 1 post on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), where Williams reposted an image of Investigator Marissa Viverito, a member of the district attorney’s office involved in a high-profile gang murder case. The reposted image was accompanied by the caption labeling Viverito as “the biggest liar in the DA’s office.” This post rapidly gained traction, accumulating over two million views and eliciting numerous comments, some of which included threats directed at Viverito and her family.
District Attorney Willis argued that Williams’s actions constituted a direct threat to the safety of witnesses and prosecutors, thereby undermining the integrity of the judicial process. She contended that such behavior warranted the immediate revocation of Williams’s probation.
In response, Williams’s legal team, led by attorney Brian Steel, refuted the prosecution’s claims, asserting that the motion lacked merit. Steel emphasized that Williams had not violated any probation conditions and highlighted the absence of evidence indicating that Williams was aware of any court order prohibiting the display of Viverito’s image. Furthermore, Steel argued that Williams’s reposting of the image, accompanied by an opinion on Viverito’s credibility, did not amount to a probation violation.
Judge Whitaker, after reviewing the arguments from both sides, concluded that the social media post in question did not rise to the level of a probation violation. However, she advised Williams to exercise caution in his social media interactions, particularly concerning sensitive topics.
Williams also addressed the situation directly, stating on X: “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.”
This ruling allows Williams to continue his 15-year probation term, which was part of a plea agreement reached in October 2024, following charges related to gang, drug, and firearm offenses. The conditions of his probation include restrictions on contact with certain individuals and limitations on his presence in specific geographic areas.
The case underscores the complexities of balancing freedom of expression with the responsibilities and limitations imposed by legal agreements, especially in the digital age where social media activity can have far-reaching implications.
