Young Thug and YSL‘s racketeering trial appears to be getting back on track, with newly-appointed judge Paige Reese Whitaker setting a new calendar and guidelines.
At a hearing on Friday (July 19), Judge Whitaker admitted that she was “parachuting in” to the long-running trial, according to an account by Rolling Stone.
AD LOADING...
She indicated that she expected the jury to return on August 5, after she catches up on pending motions.
The judge also laid out a set of new rules in order to keep the case, which kicked off in November 2023 following ten months of jury selection, to a reasonable length.
AD LOADING...
Judge Whitaker explained that court will go from 8:45 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, though perhaps a bit shorter on Fridays. She also banned headphones and eating in the courtroom.
“I would like for us to maintain a degree of decorum and dignity and professionalism that is what is expected of all of us as members of the bar,” the judge said, in a nod to the heated debate over a secret hearing that resulted in the case’s original judge being removed. “I’m here to give everybody a fair trial, a fair shake, and follow the law.”
AD LOADING...
Judge Ural Glanville, who had been overseeing the trial since it started, was removed on Monday (July 15).
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.
AD LOADING...
Glanville was replaced by Judge Shakura Ingram – who then recused herself on Wednesday (July 17) because of a romantic relationship her former courthouse deputy had with a co-defendant in the case.
Just hours later, Ingram was replaced by Judge Whitaker.
AD LOADING...
Whitaker, who has been a judge in Fulton County since 2017, is a former Fulton County prosecutor and also worked at the state Attorney General’s office.
Both Ingram and Whitaker were selected randomly.
In the aftermath of Glanville’s removal, Thug’s lawyer 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 [sic] 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.”
AD LOADING...
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.
