This Is Where Young Thug’s Trial Is

AAnother judge overseeing the racketeering case against rapper Young Thug has been removed from the case, prolonging the longest criminal trial in Georgia history.

On Monday, Judge Ural Glanville was removed from the case after lawyers representing Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffrey Williams, filed a complaint regarding alleged “improper meetings” between Glanville, two promoters, and Kenneth Copeland, a witness in the case. . Glanville presided over the case for 18 months.

The judge who recused Glanville, Judge Rachel Krause, said that while she did not think the meeting or the matter discussed was inherently inappropriate, she made the decision “out of the need to preserve public confidence in the judicial system.” Fulton County Judge Shukura Ingram was chosen to replace Glanville, but she disqualified herself Wednesday shortly after being appointed to it because of an “appearance of impropriety,” court documents say. Judge Paige Reese Whitaker will now oversee the trial.

Young Thug is accused of leading a street gang in the Atlanta metro area. He was arrested in May 2022 and is currently in the Fulton County Jail. More than 25 other people have also been charged in the case, including popular rapper Gunna, although many have sought plea deals over time or are being tried separately.

“You know, it’s not just about me or YSL,” Young Thug said in a 2022 prison interview. “I always use my music as a form of artistic expression and now I see that black artists and rappers don’t have that freedom. Everyone, please sign the Protect Black Arts petition and continue to pray for us.”

The case was delayed due to several factors, including the stabbing of Shannon Stillwell, another defendant in the case, in prison, but it also proved difficult for the prosecution due to the high number of defendants.

Clips of the trial were also posted on social media – sparking sarcastic online reactions and viral moments. Here’s what you should know about the trial.

What charges is Young Thug facing?

Young Thug is facing charges for violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act for his alleged involvement in criminal gang activity. The rapper also faces other charges relating to possession of a firearm, possession of drugs with intent to distribute and participation in criminal street gang activity.

Prosecutors claim the rapper is the leader of Young Slime Life or YSL, a street gang that has committed crimes including murder, robbery, drug trafficking, among others. YSL is also the acronym for his record label, Young Stoner Life Records. Prosecutors allege the gang is affiliated with the Bloods, a street gang that originated in Los Angeles in the 1970s, but has since spread throughout the United States. Judge Glanville previously ruled that the rapper’s lyrics could be used as evidence in court.

Young Thug has pleaded not guilty to all charges, although other defendants in the case have taken different positions. Rapper Gunna, for example, pleaded guilty – despite personally maintaining his innocence. Gunna was released from prison in December 2022 after seven months in prison. He will have to perform 500 hours of community service.

Why was a new judge appointed?

Defense attorneys filed a motion to remove Judge Glanville from the case because of a meeting between Glanville, Copeland, Copeland’s attorneys and the prosecution. Young Thug representatives were not present at the meeting nor were they aware of what was happening, they claim.

Copeland, aka Lil Woody, was considered a key witness in the case who could speak to Young Thug’s alleged criminal activity. But Copeland went viral online for her apparent reluctance to answer questions and actively participate in the rehearsal.

On June 6, the state announced that it would call Copeland to testify the following day, according to court documents. Because the witness refused and said he would invoke his Fifth Amendment right, the state says it filed with Judge Glanville a “motion to compel the testimony of Kenneth Copeland by extending immunity” to his testimony and asking the court to hold Copeland in contempt if he still refused to testify. The court agreed to the motion.

However, on June 7, Copeland said he would still plead the fifth. Copeland was later placed in custody for failing to testify, according to the state’s response to the refusal. Judge Glanville then said in front of the defendants and their lawyers that he would bring Copeland back to court on June 10 to see if he would testify. On the morning of the 10th, “the State requested the Court to hold an internal meeting with Kenneth Copeland’s attorney, Kenneth Copeland, the Court and an attorney for the State, to discuss the contempt proceedings initiated against Mr. State’s Motion,” by court documents.

After the meeting, Brian Steel, Young Thug’s lawyer, asked for a mistrial because of Judge Glanville’s meeting. Steel and another attorney asked Glanville to recuse himself from the case, which Judge Krause granted.

Judge Shukura Ingram was appointed to preside over the case, but recused herself personally on Wednesday because a former deputy of hers conspired with one of the other defendants in the case, Christian Eppinger, to commit a crime. Given that this deputy could be called as a witness in the case, Judge Ingram says that overseeing this case “could undermine public confidence in the impartiality of the process.”

Where is the judgment now?

The trial was undeniably long, with opening statements in the case beginning in November 2023, following a 10-month jury selection process.