The racketeering and gang conspiracy trial against Young Thug and five associates in Atlanta, Georgia, has been paused indefinitely following allegations of misconduct by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville, according to The Washington Post. The trial, already the longest criminal trial in Georgia’s history at 18 months, will not proceed until another judge decides whether Judge Glanville should recuse himself from the case.
The decision comes after defense attorneys accused Judge Glanville of holding a secret meeting with prosecutors and key witness Kenneth Copeland to pressure him into testifying, which they argue was improper and unconstitutional. In response, Judge Glanville initially made the hearing public and announced plans to release the full transcript of his meeting with Copeland. However, he later reversed his decision and referred the recusal motions to another judge.
Brian Steel, Young Thug’s lead attorney, previously questioned Judge Glanville about the meeting but refused to reveal his source of information. Consequently, Steel was found in criminal contempt last month and sentenced to serve 20 weekend days in jail. Disputes over Copeland’s testimony and issues with evidence have further delayed the trial, with the jurors last hearing statements on June 17.
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Today marks the 100th day of proceedings since opening statements. The trial has faced numerous challenges, including a jury selection process that took 10 months and another delay after one of Young Thug’s co-defendants, Shannon Stillwell, was stabbed in jail and hospitalized. Despite these setbacks, prosecutors are still not halfway through their projected witness list, which includes over 200 individuals. The trial is expected to extend into 2025.
Young Thug faces multiple charges, primarily based on allegations that he led the Young Slime Life (YSL) gang, which is purportedly affiliated with the national Bloods organization. In opening arguments, Adriane Love, the chief deputy district attorney for Fulton County, claimed that YSL operated “like a pack,” with Young Thug as its leader, seeking to dominate the Atlanta area. The defense, however, contends that YSL is simply a record label, and its artists merely portray fictional accounts of criminal life in their music.
Steel has maintained that Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, has “committed no crime whatsoever.” During opening arguments, Steel emphasized that the rapper’s music narrates a journey from “depression, despair, hopelessness, and helplessness” to wealth and fame, and claimed that Thug was being exploited by the real criminals who would testify against him.
The judge has also permitted prosecutors to submit song lyrics as evidence, a controversial practice that has been criticized by legal analysts.
