How long has Young Thug’s YSL RICO trial been ongoing? Attorney Brian Steel files motions to have Judge Ural Glanville removed

Rapper Young Thug's attorney, Brian Steel, filed an official motion on June 17, 2024, to remove Judge Ural Glanville from the ongoing YSL RICO trial. Steel filed the request a week after he accused Glanville of witness intimidation and ex parte communication about one of the state's key witnesses, Kenneth "Lil Woody" Copeland.

Judge Glanville held Brian Steel in “criminal contempt” for his accusations and refusal to reveal his sources, sentencing him to 10 weekends in prison. Meanwhile, Steel filed a motion to recuse the judge from “all further dealings” in the case and find another judge to replace him.

Young Thug’s YSL RICO trial has been going on since November 2023. Although it began with 28 co-defendants, including Thug, the list has since dropped to six.

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In brief, exploring the timeline of Young Thug’s YSL RICO trial

The rapper, whose real name is Jeffrey Lamar Williams, along with 27 others, was arrested in May 2022. They were arrested following a 56-count indictment in violation of Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.

Thug was identified as the leader of the street gang Young Stoner Life (YSL) and was charged with a series of crimes dating back to 2012. These included charges of murder, robbery, theft, carjackings, illegal drug possession, gun possession, and assaults, among others.

Young Thug has maintained his innocence throughout the trial, which began with a sitting jury on November 27, 2023. Since then, his legal team has tried to release him on bail, but the requests have been repeatedly denied. He was court-ordered to remain in the Cobb County Jail until the end of the trial.

The YSL RICO trial initially began with 28 co-defendants and 737 witnesses, but the list has since dwindled to six. Some of the highlights of the trial so far include Brian Steel providing an alternative definition of Thug’s moniker as “Truly Humble Under God." Steel also claimed that YSL was named after the fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent.

Earlier in 2024, Trontavious Stephens took the witness stand and named himself, Young Thug, and Walter Murphy as the founders of YSL. Stephens, who goes by Tick & Slug, provided testimony after signing a plea deal with eight years of probation.

In February 2024, the prosecution played a 911 call recording as part of their evidence, alleging that Young Thug was the gunman in the shooting of a woman in 2013.

Two months later, in April 2024, the defense filed a motion to remove Fulton County Assistant DA Adriane Love from the case. They accused her of “continuously injecting herself as an unsworn witness.” However, Judge Granville denied the request.

At present, Young Thug’s attorney, Brian Steel is seeking to recuse Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Ural D. Glanville from all further dealings of the ongoing trial and his client’s alleged criminal cases.

The request was made one week after Steel accused Judge Glanville of "unlawful and improper" witness coercion and intimidation. The attorney also accused the judge of ex-parte communication concerning the state’s key witness and former Thug associate, Lil Woody.

While Steele was held in contempt and sentenced to 20 days in prison, he challenged the judge and has now filed a motion requesting his removal. The defense attorney has also refused to name his sources concerning the information received about the June 10, 2024, secret meeting. Brian Steel has filed a motion for a mistrial based on “improper conduct” and “abuse of authority” by the court and prosecution.

Notably, Young Thug's YSL RICO case has been ongoing for 18 months, making it the longest RICO case in the history of Georgia.