Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville, who oversaw the racketeering and gang conspiracy trial against Young Thug and five associates in Atlanta, Georgia, has been removed from the case, reports say. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Attorneys for defendants Young Thug and Deamonte Kendrick filed motions arguing that Glanville held a secret meeting with prosecutors and key witness Kenneth Copeland to pressure him to testify, which the attorneys argued was improper and unconstitutional. In response, Glanville suspended the case indefinitely in early July. Judge Rachel Krause has now ruled that while Glanville did not discuss anything inappropriate during that meeting and the court believes he could still preside over the case fairly, the meeting should have been held in public and therefore the Glanville would have to be excused to maintain “public confidence in the justice system.”
In the order, the Supreme Court said all judges must disclose information in a “dispassionate and non-argumentative” manner to avoid appearing biased. “In presenting his background on the exoneration issues and in ruling on Kendrick's motion, Judge Glanville evaluated and accepted the truth of his own factual allegations, granting his exoneration,” it says. Clerk of Court Fulton confirmed that Judge Shukura Ingram has assigned the case to Glanville.
“Jeffrey Williams is innocent of the charges in this indictment and to clear his name he sought a speedy trial, a fair trial in which he would receive the constitutional guarantees of a fair trial with an impartial judge presiding and ethical prosecutors to they follow the law,” he said. Brian Steel, Young Thug's attorney, in a statement. “Unfortunately, Judge Glanville and the prosecutors violated their duties under the law. Mr. Williams is grateful that the reviewing court agreed with him and upheld the decision to recuse and disqualify Judge Glanville from presiding over Mr. Williams' case. We look forward to moving forward with a judge who will fairly and faithfully follow the law.”
Young Thug's case is already the longest criminal trial in Georgia history at 18 months, with many more to follow. The jury selection process took 10 months and, just two weeks after the trial began in late November, another delay arrived when one of Young Thug's co-defendants, Shannon Stillwell, was stabbed in jail and hospitalized. Stilwell survived the attack.
Before today's ruling, Young Thug's trial was expected to last until 2025, and prosecutors were not yet halfway through their projected witness list of more than 200 people. Former Judicial Qualifications Commission Chairman Chuck Boring said The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Ingram will review the case and decide whether she, as the new judge, should proceed with it or recuse herself. Once that's done, “it's likely that defense attorneys will file a motion for mistrial,” Boring said.
Young Thug faces several charges in the trial, primarily based on the allegation that he led the Young Slime Life (YSL) gang, with ties to the Bloods national organization. During opening arguments, Adriane Love, the chief deputy district attorney for Fulton County, told the jury that YSL “moved like a pack,” with Young Thug “as its head,” as it sought to dominate its territory Atlanta. The defense countered by arguing that YSL is just a record label whose artists adhere to the conventions of rap music, presenting entertaining narratives of criminal life that its interns don't actually carry out.
The judge also allowed prosecutors to submit song lyrics as evidence, a controversial legal practice that analysts have discredited.
