Last public defender in YSL trial moves to withdraw as counsel, says she can’t earn ‘livable wage’

ATLANTA — A lawyer representing a defendant in the Young Slime Life gang trial in Fulton County has filed a motion to withdraw as counsel, citing financial issues resulting from the case itself.

According to records submitted to the court by Angela D’Williams, a contractor with the public defender’s office, her motion to withdraw comes after she said has already lost her physical office due to a loss of livelihood stemming from her role in the case.

Prior to her motion to withdraw as counsel in the RICO trial, she was representing Rodalius Ryan, Jr., a role she has filled since December 2022. Ryan is one of five defendants in the case, which includes Jeffery Lamar Williams, a rapper known popularly as Young Thug.

The motion to withdraw says that the trial will last well into 2025, citing statements from the Georgia Public Defender Council.

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D’Williams’ filing says she was told GPDC says they will find another attorney to substitute for the trial, though Ryan “is opposed to a substitution of counsel and will not waive his right to counsel whom has already been appointed.”

Still, D’Williams’ document says she gave Ryan due written notice of her desire to stop representing him in court.

The main reason for her choice to leave is “the unforeseen hardships that counsel has encountered because of the length and commitment this trial requires,” which D’Williams informed GPDC of before filing her notice.

However, GPDC said “D’Williams is not a GPDC employee, and does not receive a salary. She is an independent contractor who freely contracted with GPDC to represent Mr. Ryan for the YSL RICO case. She does not represent any other GPDC clients.”

Submitted along with her notice to withdraw, D’Williams filed exhibits stating that while grateful for a recent increase of compensation, with a $55,000 cap, which all appointed attorneys received in March 2023, she is the last remaining appointed counsel representing a defendant in the YSL trial, and is now facing unforeseen professional and financial challenges as a result.

This is not the first time she has noted that public defenders were not making enough money for their involvement in the lengthy trial.

“I can’t take any new cases. I can’t close any cases. I need something to survive off of,” she told Channel 2′s Michael Seiden in May 2023. “I’m thinking I need to start an OnlyFans.”

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The case has proceeded in court for 13 months, and “have been particularly demanding, with court days often stretching from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.,” D’Williams wrote in her request.

Due to this, D’Williams said it leaves “minimal time for other professional responsibilities,” and she has been unable to take on new clients. As a result, she said she is “not able to earn a livable wage, while representing Mr. Ryan in this trial.”

She said the case’s unique nature and complexities, as well as the unanticipated length of the trial, have put an extraordinary burden on her and created a need for additional financial support.

“I have exhausted personal resources to maintain the high standards of legal representation expected in such a significant and challenging case,” D’Williams wrote, adding that she was not requesting to withdraw without understanding the budgetary considerations and constraints of the role.

Documents submitted alongside D’Williams’ request state that GPDC has already doubled the traditional pay for the case due to the unusual circumstances of the trial. GPDC told D’Williams that they were unable to provide a third increase in compensation and requested that, should she be unable to continue representing Ryan, she tell them so they can substitute another attorney to the case.

As of Thursday, the motion to withdraw as counsel was filed, and now waits for approval by a judge.

Editor’s Note: This story was updated to reflect a more accurate representation of Ms. D’Williams’ position as a contractor for GPDC, not an employee.

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