Young Thug’s Gang and Extortion Trial Resumes Under New Judge

ATLANTA (AP) — The jury within the long-running extortion and gang-related trial against rapper Young Thug and others returned to an Atlanta courthouse Monday after an eight-week recess to seek out a brand new judge.

The jury had already taken a break in early July, when the trial was suspended to permit the judge to find out whether the judge overseeing the case must be removed. Two weeks later, Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Ural Glanville was faraway from the case after two defendants moved to have him removed, citing a gathering the judge had with prosecutors and a prosecution witness.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker was appointed to take over the case. After she denied motions for a mistrial, the trial resumed Monday with Kenneth Copeland returning to the witness stand, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

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’s anti-corruption law. He was also charged with gang, drug and weapons offenses.

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He appeared in court together with five other accused individuals.

Brian Steel, Young Thug’s lawyer, said his client is innocent and desires to clear his name through a good trial.

Attorneys for Young Thug and co-defendant Deamonte Kendrick filed motions to have Glanville disqualified. They said the judge held a gathering with prosecutors and prosecution witness Copeland that was not attended by the defendants or defense attorneys. Defense attorneys argued the meeting was “improper” and that the judge and prosecutors were attempting to pressure the witness to testify.

Glanville’s colleague, Judge Rachel Krause, didn’t criticize Glanville for organizing the meeting but said he must be faraway from office to guard the general public’s confidence within the judicial system.

Copeland, who has been granted immunity by prosecutors, agreed to return to the rostrum Monday after Whitaker told him he could testify or sit in jail until the top of the trial, the Journal-Constitution reported. Copeland has repeatedly said he doesn’t remember the events of the years since, admitted to lying to police and said he mentioned Young Thug’s name to police to avoid trouble.