After Gunna was denied bond release for the third time, his lawyers are now crying foul over the main reason that led the judge to maintain his initial ruling on the bond hearing.
According to Billboard, prosecutors were apparently in possession of a message that a co-defendant in the case had offered to "whack someone" on behalf of the rapper in question. Because of this, Judge Ural Glanville eventually ruled to deny Gunna's bond release.
However, in a new filing that the publication has obtained, Gunna's lawyer has confirmed that they already are in possession of the evidence that contains the incriminating statement.
Apparently, the message dates back to June 2020, years and months before Gunna was jailed in May 2022.
"Tell gunna happy c day it's all love [100 and heart emojis] I'll still a whack some Bout him," the message reads.
The origin of the text and the date when it was received didn't sit well with the rapper's embattled legal team, who has been rallying for his release since last May.
"For the state to [argue] that this text is an offer to commit murder (or to threaten or injure a witness in a case that was still two years in the future) aptly illustrates the problem of a hearing by ambush and proffer. Respectfully, at each of the bond hearings before the Court, the State has relied on proffers of evidence- never disclosed to Kitchens prior to a hearing - and none of the proffers has panned out," Gunna's camp argued.
The reasons for Gunna's bond release denial have been the same thing across all rulings. For Judge Glanville, Gunna holds a "commanding position" on the alleged YSL gang that he and Young Thug has been leading for quite a while already.
Because of this, there is a risk of witness tampering and intimidation when Gunna is given temporary freedom before his slated trial date on January 2023.
Lawyers are now calling foul on how the prosecution misled Judge Glanville about how the statement might be used if Gunna is freed.
"The text in question, dated June 14, 2020 - almost two years before the indictment was returned in this case - has nothing to do with witness intimidation or obstruction," they continued to argue.
As of this writing, the Fulton County District Attorney's Office has yet to respond to the new filing.
© 2024 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.