The courtroom atmosphere in Atlanta shifted from tense to electric on Thursday as Brian Steel, the multi-millionaire defense attorney known for dismantling the state’s case in the Young Thug RICO trial, turned his relentless cross-examination onto the prosecution’s star witness, Jam, a self-admitted triple murderer andported member of the Only The Family (OTF) collective. Steel, who operates with the surgical precision of a surgeon and the theatrical aggression of a prize fighter, spent the day methodically eviscerating Jam’s credibility, exposing glaring inconsistencies in his testimony, and painting him as a cold-blooded opportunist willing to say anything to escape a lifetime behind bars.
The day began with a bombshell that sent shockwaves through the gallery. Steel played an audio recording from 2023 in which Jam explicitly told FBI agents that Lil Durk, the chart-topping rapper at the center of the federal murder-for-hire case, never offered a bounty for the deaths of Quando Rondo and Lul Tim. This statement directly contradicted the narrative the prosecution has been attempting to build, suggesting that the entire premise of the murder conspiracy may be built on shifting sand.
As the recording echoed through the speakers, Steel paused, letting the weight of the contradiction settle over the jurors, who sat in rapt attention.
Steel did not merely rely on past recordings; he aggressively confronted Jam with the philosophical and moral implications of his own admitted actions. At one point, Steel leaned in, his voice dripping with disdain, asking Jam whether he believed his own life was worth more than those of his victims. “That’s your job.
You’re a cold-blooded killer,” Steel thundered, causing a stir among the spectators. The judge, sensing the escalating rhetoric, briefly interjected, admonishing Steel for becoming “too philosophical.” However, the attorney recalibrated swiftly, pivoting back to the gritty factual inconsistencies that plagued Jam’s testimony.
The cross-examination took a deeply personal turn when Steel introduced evidence regarding Jam’s expectations for his own sentence. Steel revealed that Jam had allegedly told a loved one during a jail phone call that he hoped to receive just18 months in prison, hoping to be home in time for his child’s birthday. Jam, visibly flustered, denied making such specific claims, stating he simply hoped for “a number” rather than a life sentence.
Steel seized on this ambiguity, suggesting to the jury that Jam’s cooperation was not born of remorse, but of a desperate, calculated attempt to game the system and return to the streets where he had wreaked havoc.
Perhaps the most damaging exchange came when Steel revisited the murder of Lil Pab, a shooting that occurred at a gas station. Jam admitted to being the shooter in that incident, yet he attempted to contextualize his actions by claiming he was merely following orders to avoid being killed himself. Steel, with razor-sharp precision, asked why Jam’s life should be valued above the innocent victim’s life.
The witness, who had earlier claimed not to understand the word “objectively,” struggled to provide a coherent response, often resorting to the defense that he was just “trying to survive.” Steel countered by pointing out that Jam had ample opportunity to walk away from the conspiracy, yet chose instead to participate fully, even flying to California with the intent to kill
The defense attorney also highlighted Jam’s alleged disrespect toward Durk, introducing testimony that Jam had referred to the rapper as his “slave” in front of a romantic interest. Steel painted a portrait of a man consumed by jealousy and greed, who believed he was entitled to a share of Durk’s fame and fortune. “You told her Durk was your flunky, didn’t you?”
Steel accused. Jam denied the claim, but Steel’s implication was clear: this was a man who saw his boss not as a mentor, but as a meal ticket to be exploited and ultimately betrayed
Throughout the proceedings, members of the Free Duck gang, a rival faction, gathered outside the courthouse, their mood noticeably more subdued than in previous days. Our correspondent, Trapman Ross, reported that the atmosphere was calmer, with many expressing satisfaction at seeing Steel dismantle the witness they view as the ultimate traitor. “When Brian Steel gets ahold of someone, people’s moods tend to improve,” Ross noted, adding that Jam had shown more composure than YSL Woody, another infamous snitch, but that Steel had still managed to trip him up multiple times during the day
Steel’s strategy appeared to be twofold: first, to establish Jam as an unreliable narrator whose testimony could not be trusted; second, to humanize the victims by forcing the witness to confront the graphic reality of his crimes. He recounted in vivid detail the murder Jam committed at age17, when he allegedly walked into a store, shot the clerk in the head, and left him to die on the floor. “You blew his brains out, didn’t you?”
Steel asked, his voice rising. “Did any of his brain matter splatter onto you or your gun?” Jam, looking uncomfortable, denied the gruesome detail, but the image had already been seared into the jurors’ minds.
Steel also exposed a significant contradiction regarding the alleged murder plot against Quando Rondo. While Jam claimed he tried to call off the hit by texting Durk, Steel pointed out that Jam could not produce those text messages. “If you were truly trying to stop it, where are the texts?
You had your phone, didn’t you?” Steel pressed. Jam admitted he no longer had the phone or the messages, further eroding his credibility.
Steel argued that Jam, as a high-ranking “minister” in the OTF hierarchy, could have simply refused to participate or returned the firearm, but instead chose to engage in the shootout that resulted in Lil Pab’s death
The tension reached its peak when Steel brought up the murder of Little Dean, a case for which Jam had pleaded guilty. Jam insisted he was involved in the kidnapping but was not the triggerman. Steel, however, suggested that Jam was a willing participant in a pattern of violence that defined his entire adult life.
“You have a heart for murder, don’t you?” Steel charged. Jam, offering a nervous laugh, replied, “No, that’s not true.”
But the damage was done. The image of Jam as a remorseless, calculating killer had been firmly established in the minds of those watching
Legal analysts watching the proceedings noted that Steel’s approach was reminiscent of his legendary performance in the Young Thug case, where he famously clashed with the judge and was even held in contempt for refusing to reveal a confidential source. That incident, which saw Steel briefly jailed, cemented his reputation as a lawyer willing to sacrifice his own freedom for his client. As one observer noted, “You don’t see many lawyers go to jail for their clients.
That’s the kind of dedication Brian Steel brings to the table.” This level of commitment stands in stark contrast to Jam, who is seen as cooperating with prosecutors solely to save his own skin
The implications of Thursday’s testimony are profound for Lil Durk’s defense. If the jury comes to believe that Jam is lying about the bounty, and that the murder plot was not orchestrated by Durk, the prosecution’s case could collapse entirely. Steel’s cross-examination has effectively planted seeds of reasonable doubt, suggesting that other individuals, perhaps acting on their own initiative or out of jealousy, may have been responsible for the violence that claimed multiple lives
As the court adjourned for the day, the crowd outside began to disperse, with many expressing confidence in Steel’s ability to secure an acquittal. The defense team, led by Steel, appeared composed, knowing they had landed several significant blows. However, the trial is far from over.
The prosecution will have the opportunity to rehabilitate their witness on redirect, and the jury will ultimately have to weigh Jam’s credibility against the mountain of evidence presented. For now, though, Brian Steel has done what he does best: he has taken a cooperating witness and turned him into the most dangerous threat to the government’s case. The question that lingers in the humid Atlanta air is whether this masterclass in cross-examination will be enough to set Lil Durk free
