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 another judge rules on requests by several defendants to withdraw from the case.

Attorneys for the rapper and several other defendants filed motions to have Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville recused himself after He had a meeting with prosecutors and a prosecution witness at which the defendants and defense attorneys were not present. They said the meeting was “inappropriate” and that the judge and prosecutors tried to pressure the witness, who had been granted immunity, to testify.

Glanville said jurors who are already on recess until July 8 will be notified they will not be needed until the case is resolved.

It’s the latest delay in a trial that has dragged on for more than a year, in part because of a number of problems. Jury selection in the case started in January 2023. AND it took almost 10 months. Opening statements were made in November and the prosecutor’s office has not ceased to present its arguments since then, calling dozens of witnesses.

Grammy Award-winning Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, was counted two years ago in a sweeping indictment that accuses him and more than two dozen others of conspiring to violate Georgia’s anti-corruption laws. He also has been charged with gang, drug and firearms offenses and faces trial along 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 found out about the meeting outside of court. Steel was sentenced to 10 consecutive weekends in jail, but 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 meeting he had with prosecutors and state witness Kenneth Copeland and Copeland’s lawyer. He said he would also let another judge decide whether he should be removed from the case.

Glanville told lawyers he would issue an order transferring the case to another 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 another judge. “I have nothing to do with it.”

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

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

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

Young Thug has enjoyed massive success since he began rapping as a teenager and serves as CEO of his own record label, Young Stoner Life, called YSL. The artists on his record label are considered 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 say 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 in the indictment are responsible for violent crimes — including homicides, shootings and carjackings — aimed at raising money for the gang, cultivating its reputation and expanding its power and territory.