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A federal judge ruled in favor of Pooh Shiesty after the rapper filed a motion to end his 23-hour lockdown in solitary confinement.
Attorneys for the Memphis native previously asked for U.S. Marshals to provide "humane conditions" while he awaits his upcoming trial. During a hearing held Tuesday, November 10, Federal Judge David Godbey reinforced his approval of the motion after considering the government's recent response. According to WFAA, court documents state that "the parties have agreed on the motion and will inform the court if they are unable to secure a suitable location for the defendant."
Pooh Shiesty, born Lontrell Williams Jr., is currently being held at Rolling Plains Regional Jail in Haskell, Texas. During his time there, the "Back In Blood" rapper alleged prison staff told him he was being "isolated for his own protection," but did not explain their reasoning. He also claimed his family visit was recently cut short because of an alleged two-hour-per-month limit. In the motion, Williams' attorneys said the isolation caused their client to suffer from anxiety and insomnia.
Judge Godbey had originally granted the motion last month, but U.S. Marshals responded by alleging Williams "corrupted" people at his previous halfway house. They argued that Williams has had plenty of video visits thanks to his "unfettered access to, and use of, a tablet." They also indicated that staff worried about the rapper's safety after three inmates attempted to break into Williams' unit to get autographs.
"Mr. Williams reports that his time in this restrictive incarceration already is adversely affecting his sleep and his mental state," Godbey said in his original ruling in October. "Continuing to hold him in this status, without any documented justification specific to his conduct at RPRJ, serves no legitimate governmental interest that the record reflects, and risks converting his pretrial detention into something tantamount to unconstitutional punishment."
Williams is awaiting trial after he was charged with allegedly robbing and kidnapping Gucci Mane and his associates at a recording studio in Dallas at the beginning of the year. He was supposed to face trial in July, but the proceedings were pushed back to February 2027. Williams pleaded not guilty to the charges.