Why is Brian Steel seeking Judge Glanville to be recused from RICO trial? Young Thug’s attorney files second motion

Rapper Young Thug's attorney, Brian Steel, recently filed a second motion to recuse Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville from presiding over his client's RICO trial. The news was confirmed by Atlanta Journal-Constitution writer, Jozsef Papp, in an X post shared on Tuesday, July 9, 2024.

For the uninitiated, Jeffery Lamar Williams, a.k.a. Young Thug, and 27 others associated with the rapper's YSL label were arrested in May 2022 for violating Georgia's RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act. Per the indictment, YSL was a front for the criminal gang, Young Slime Life.

According to CBS News, the RICO Act helps combat organized crime, especially those who operate and manage an enterpise that is enagaged in crimnal activies.

Papp shared the official 223-page document in his post. The document is built upon Steel's initial mistrial filing that alleged Judge Glanville and prosecutors had an "unlawful, improper ex parte meeting" with a witness.

The new motion asks for Judge Rachel Krause, who is set to decide whether Judge Glanville can stay on the case, to also be disqualified as both have contributed to other's re-election campaigns.

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In addition to the two judges, Young Thug's attorney's filing asked District Attorney Adriane Love and Prosecutor Simone Hylton to be removed from the case

In addition to the two judges, Brian Steel's filing also called for District Attorney Adriane Love and prosecutor Simone Hylton to be removed from the case due to their involvement in the ex parte meeting. He called it a "disgraceful episode," stating that Love and Hylton "shall never be trusted by Mr. Williams or undersigned counsel."

It all began on June 7, when witness Kenneth "Lil Woody" Copeland decided not to testify, asserting his 5th Amendment right. His actions were in violation of his plea bargain, and he was sent to jail over the weekend. Next week, Judge Glanville allegedly held an ex parte meeting with Woody, the procecutors, and others, resulting in Copeland's return to the witness stand.

Young Thug's lawyer, Brian Steel, found out about the alleged meeting and confronted Glanville during a break. When questioned, Steel refused to disclose how he found out, leading the judge to hold him in contempt of court and sentence him to spend the next 10 weekends in jail. However, Georgia's Supreme Court stepped in and stayed the order.

The ordeal prompted Steel and other defense attorneys (including Deamonte Kendrick's lawyer) to file separate motions to recuse Judge Glanville, who later denied their motion. As a result, Kendrick's lawyer went straight to the Georgia Supreme Court to have the judge disqualified.

While Kendrick's motion was denied due to procedural reasons, it was decided that another judge should overhear the recusal motions. It was decided that Fulton County Superior Court Judge Rachel Krause would decide whether Glanville should remain in the YSL case.

Krause signed an order on July 2, giving prosecutors a week to file responses to the motions for Glanville's diaqualification. However, just before she could issue the order, Deamonte filed a motion to disqualify any judge holding office on the same court or another court in the same circuit from making the decision, calling it "inappropirate."

The trial for Young Thug began in November 2023 and has since been plagued by a number of issues, including bickering among attorneys, stabbing of a defendant, and arrests of a juror, among others.

Until a decision is made about the recusal's Young Thug's trial, it remains in recess.