The high-profile RICO trial of hip hop star Young Thug has encountered a significant delay, with proceedings put on hold indefinitely. On Monday, July 1, Judge Ural Glanville announced the pause pending a decision on whether he must recuse himself from the case.
The defense team, led by attorney Brian Steel, called for Glanville’s recusal following a private meeting between the judge, prosecutors, and key witness Kenneth Copeland.
Steel’s challenge in court regarding the propriety of this meeting led to a heated exchange in June, resulting in Glanville holding Steel in criminal contempt. Steel was sentenced to 20 days in jail for his refusal to disclose how he became aware of the meeting, though his sentence was later stayed by the Georgia Supreme Court.
Glanville faced intense scrutiny for his actions, with Steel and other defense attorneys arguing that the defense had a right to be present during any discussions between the judge and prosecution, especially those involving a key witness. The defense accused Glanville and the prosecutors of attempting to coerce Copeland into testifying by threatening him with jail time.
In response to these accusations, Glanville maintained his innocence, stating that the meeting only involved discussions about Copeland’s immunity agreement and did not touch on any testimonial statements he might give.
Despite previously rejecting calls for his recusal, Glanville surprisingly agreed to let another judge review the allegations of misconduct. Consequently, he suspended Young Thug’s trial until a ruling is made on his potential recusal.
“We’ll be in recess until that time,” Glanville announced.
When questioned by prosecutors about the length of the delay, Glanville admitted uncertainty, leaving the timeline for the trial’s resumption unclear.
