Who is Ural Glanville? Judge who held Young Thug's lawyer Brian Steel in contempt during trial confronted by attorney Ashleigh Merchant

On Monday, June 10, Judge Ural Glanville presiding over Young Thug's criminal racketeering case ordered the arrest of the rapper's lead attorney, Brian Steel. The judge called for an ex parte meeting to investigate an alleged information leak, which led to a contempt hearing for all involved parties.

Brian Steel objected to the private meeting, arguing it was an attempt by prosecutors to tamper with witnesses, noting that defense attorneys were not notified beforehand.

Following this, to provide their support, several criminal defense lawyers showed up in the courts on Monday afternoon. Steel was further defended by Ashleigh Merchant, the chair of the state's criminal defense attorney group and a firm supporter of the rights of those accused of crimes.

Judge Ural Glanville is presently working as the Chief Judge of the Georgia 5th Superior Court District Atlanta Circuit, whose term will expire on December 31, 2024. He contested for re-election for the position and won the election on May 21, 2024.

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Ural Glanville, who held Young Thug's lawyer Brian Steel in contempt, is a judge of Atlanta Judicial Circuit

Ural Glanville has many degrees and work experiences (Image via Youtube / U.S. Army Reserve)

Judge Ural Glanville, born in Columbus, Ohio, relocated to the South in 1982. He is a well-regarded figure in the legal community and serves as a judge in Fulton County, Georgia's Superior Court, as per MWCD.

Glanville graduated from Brevard College with a bachelor's degree in history in 1984, followed by earning his Juris Doctor from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1987. He practiced law, handling civil and criminal cases, before pursuing a master's degree in Strategic Studies at the US Army War College in 2008.

He further held the position of Chief Judge of the US Army Court of Criminal Appeals for 33 years prior to taking the oath of office in December 2022 and becoming the Superior Court Chief Judge of Fulton County, Georgia.

In the army, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General as well. In addition, he served as the commander of the NATO Rule of Law Field Force / Rule of Law Support Mission in Afghanistan.

He then held the position of Fulton County Magistrate Court from 1995 to 2004. He has served as the Fulton County Superior Court's representative since 2005. Additionally, Ural Glanville has been serving as the Atlanta Judicial Circuit's Chief Judge since 2022. Since then, he has presided over many well-known cases.

Additionally, he had also held positions as Senior Trial Prosecutor for the DeKalb County Solicitor's Office in Georgia, and Senior Prosecutor in the US Army Trial Defense Services.

Judge Glanville came into the public eye when, on June 10, the rapper's attorney, Brian Steel, got into a heated argument with the prosecution. Judge Ural Glanville stepped in and advised Steel to behave properly. However, Steel's actions did not change, and Judge Glanville found him to be in contempt of court.

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On Monday afternoon, June 10, attorney Ashleigh Merchant made an unexpected appearance at the Fulton County Courtroom to defend Brian Steel, Young Thug's attorney, who was arrested during the court.

She said that she had brought many lawyers with her, and they were waiting outside the court.

During her argument, Merchant informed Glanville that he was required to notify defense counsel about the ex parte communications that were being made. She then said that Steel's primary argument was that he shouldn't have been required to learn about the contact from other sources.