YSL defendant Yak Gotti, whose real name is Deamonte Kendrick, has decided to reject a plea deal according to Atlanta news first and proceed to trial, while fellow rapper Young Thug has accepted a plea.

“Yak Gotti has rejected the State’s latest plea offer and fully intends to take this to the jury and get our not guilty verdicts and go home,” his attorney, Douglas Weinstein, stated to 11Alive’s Grace King on Thursday.

Following recent plea agreements, only three of the original 28 defendants now remain in the trial: Young Thug, Shannon Stillwell, and Yak Gotti. On Thursday, the rapper, known for the hit “Ski,” agreed to a non-negotiated plea, with prosecutors recommending a 25-year prison sentence.

Earlier this week, defendants Quamarvious Nichols, Rodalius Ryan, and Marquavius Huey also entered pleas. This increase in plea deals may be linked to the threat of a mistrial, which surfaced last week after a courtroom incident involving rapper Slimelife Shawty. While testifying, he inadvertently revealed the hashtag #FreeQua in an unredacted social media caption, disclosing to the jury that certain defendants were in custody. Defense attorneys argued this slip could taint the jury, pushing for a mistrial. Judge Whitaker ultimately dismissed the request for a mistrial with prejudice but allowed for the possibility of a mistrial without prejudice, meaning the current trial could end but with the chance of a retrial.

Beginning in November 2023, this trial has already become the longest-running in Georgia’s history.