Young Thug and YSL’s long-running and controversial RICO trial has been thrown into further chaos after Judge Ural Glanville was recused from the case.
According to FOX 5 Atlanta, a separate judge ruled on Monday (July 15) that it would be best to remove Glanville from the trial for the “necessity of preserving the public’s confidence in the judicial system.”
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Thug’s lawyer Brian Steel had filed a motion to dismiss Glanville from the case after he met with prosecutors and state witness Kenneth Copeland last month without the knowledge of the rapper and his legal team.
Glanville’s replacement has already been named as Shukura L. Ingram, but a new start date for the trial has yet to be confirmed.
Young Thug’s case has been assigned to a new Judge:
Judge Shukura L. Ingram pic.twitter.com/QNoZn866wf
— THUGGERDAILY ひ (@ThuggerDaily) July 15, 2024
In the aftermath of Glanville’s removal, Steel said in a statement: “Jeffrey Williams [Young Thug] is innocent of the charges brought in this indictment and to clear his name he sought a speedy trial, one in which he would receive the constitutional guarantees of a fair trial with an impartial judge presiding and ethical prosecutors following the law.”
He continued: “Sadly, Judge Glanville and the prosecutors have run afoul of their duties under of the law. Mr. Williams is grateful that the reviewing court agreed with him and entered the order recusing and disqualifying Judge Glanville from presiding over Mr. Williams’ case. We look forward to proceeding with a trial judge who will fairly and faithfully follow the law.”
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Attorneys for Thug’s co-defendant and fellow YSL rapper Yak Gotti (real name Deamonte Kendrick) have also announced that they will file a motion for a mistrial in the turbulent case.
Controversy around Glanville erupted in June after he had a private meeting with Copeland and prosecutors, which critics argue should have happened in open court.
Steel then claimed the meeting was “unconstitutional,” which led to a row with the judge who ordered the attorney to reveal who told him about the meeting.
Steel refused to tell Glanville who tipped him off, and in dramatic scenes, the judge had the lawyer arrested for being in contempt of court — all of which was caught on a courtroom livestream.
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Steel later said he wanted to spend his jail time with his client Young Thug to continue preparing their defense against the RICO charges.
Steel ultimately managed to avoid jail time after being granted bond, pending the appeal of his contempt charge.
