Young Thug’s trial halted, defense tries to get judge removed from case

ATLANTA (AP) — The judge overseeing the prosecution of Young Thug and others on extortion and gang-related charges on Monday put the lengthy trial on hold until one other judge rules on requests by several defendants to withdraw from the case.

Attorneys for the rapper and a number of other other defendants filed motions to disqualify Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Ural Glanville after he held a gathering with prosecutors and a prosecution witness at which the defendants and defense attorneys weren’t present. They said the meeting was “improper” and that the judge and prosecutors tried to pressure the witness, who had been granted immunity, to testify.

Glanville said jurors, who’re already in recess until July 8, will likely be notified they are going to not be needed until the case is resolved.

It’s the most recent delay in a trial that has dragged on for greater than a yr, partly due to a series of problems. Jury selection within the case began in January 2023 and lasted nearly 10 months. Opening statements were made in November, and prosecutors have been making their case since then, calling dozens of witnesses.

Young Thug, a Grammy Award winner whose real name is Jeffery Williams, was indicted two years ago in a sweeping indictment that accused him and greater than two dozen others of conspiring to violate Georgia anti-kickback laws. He can be charged with gang, drug and firearms offenses and faces trial together with five other defendants.

Last month, Glanville found Young Thug’s attorney, Brian Steel, guilty of contempt of court for refusing to tell a judge how he came upon in regards to the meeting outside of court. Steel was sentenced to 10 consecutive weekends in jail, however the Georgia Supreme Court stayed the sentence pending an appeal.

During a hearing Monday without jurors present, Glanville said he would release a transcript of a gathering he had with prosecutors and state witness Kenneth Copeland and Copeland’s lawyer. He said he would also let one other judge resolve whether he must be removed from the case.

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Glanville told lawyers he would issue an order transferring the case to one other judge, adding: “I’ll see you in a moment, depending on how this is decided, okay?”

“Your Majesty, do we have a timeline for considering the motion to recuse the judge?” asked prosecutor Simone Hylton.

“I don’t know,” Glanville replied, saying the court clerk would have to assign it to one other judge. “I have nothing to do with it.”

Hylton asked if the case could possibly be expedited, citing concerns about jurors being held “indefinitely.”

Glanville said he understands the concerns and hopes we’ll respond quickly.

Glanville maintained there was nothing improper in regards to the meeting. He said prosecutors had asked to speak about Copeland’s immunity agreement.

Young Thug has enjoyed massive success since he began rapping as a youngster and serves as CEO of his own record label, Young Stoner Life, called YSL. The artists on his record label are considered a part of the “Slime Family,” and the compilation album Slime Language 2 reached No. 1 on the charts in April 2021.

But prosecutors say YSL also stands for Young Slime Life, which they are saying is a violent Atlanta-based street gang with ties to the national Bloods gang, founded in 2012 by Young Thug and two others. Prosecutors say the individuals named within the indictment are answerable for violent crimes — including homicides, shootings and carjackings — geared toward raising money for the gang, cultivating its popularity and expanding its power and territory.