ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – In a legal maneuver that echoes the struggle for fairness and transparency, attorneys representing rapper Yak Gotti, a co-defendant in the Young Thug trial, have made a fervent plea. They have filed a motion urging a pause in all legal proceedings until the Georgia Supreme Court issues a recusal order for the judge presiding over the expansive RICO trial.
Yak Gotti, an artist signed under Young Thug’s music label, finds himself facing a daunting 12 charges, including murder, racketeering, and involvement in street gang activities.
At the heart of this call for a procedural pause lies allegations of misconduct during a closed-door meeting involving Judge Ural Glanville and witness Kenneth Copeland’s testimony.
On a recent Monday, Brian Steel, part of Young Thug’s legal defense team, took a bold step by filing a motion to dismiss Glanville from the case and declare a mistrial — a motion that was swiftly rejected by Glanville.
The motion asserts, “Glanville’s actions erode public trust in the judiciary’s independence, integrity, and neutrality. A cloud of impropriety and bias hangs over the ongoing trial due to Glanville’s deviation from legal norms.”
For more context: Previously, a motion to recuse Glanville from the Young Thug trial was turned down
Doug Weinstein, the legal representative for Yak Gotti, known offstage as Deamonte Kendrick, expressed deep regret in having to involve the Georgia Supreme Court in these claims. “While we hold Glanville in high regard, it’s regrettable to escalate matters to this level,” Weinstein stated. “Our request is simple: we urge the Supreme Court to direct the judge to adhere to legal standards and transfer this case to an impartial judge to evaluate the necessity of recusal. We firmly believe there are grounds for this action, as evidenced by our legal filings. We also call for transparency as mandated by law, which includes releasing an unedited transcript of the undisclosed sessions held last week. Ultimately, all we seek is equitable treatment for any accused individual — a fair trial based on justice.”
>> Dive deeper into the motion:
The motion comes in the wake of recent upheavals during the trial proceedings that commenced on June 7, triggered by Copeland’s incarceration for his initial refusal to testify. Copeland is alleged to have provided law enforcement with information on purported criminal activities involving Young Thug, whose birth name is Jeffery Williams, and the alleged YSL criminal organization. Subsequently, Copeland reversed his stance and agreed to testify.
The crux of the matter emerged when Steel disclosed details of a private communication between Fulton County prosecutors, Glanville, and Copeland, known in legal jargon as an “ex parte” conversation — a term of Latin origin signifying a judicial ruling made without the presence of all involved parties.
IN-DEPTH YOUNG THUG TRIAL COVERAGE
During a court session, Steel was pressed by Glanville to reveal the origin of the leaked information, to which Steel remained silent. Steel was subsequently detained for his refusal to comply with Glanville’s inquiries. Glanville’s ruling mandated a maximum of 20 days’ confinement for Steel at the Fulton County Jail, though he was later granted release on bond.
The saga began with Young Thug’s arrest on May 9, 2022, alongside 27 other individuals suspected of association with a criminal gang in Buckhead, under the umbrella of a 56-count indictment.
Young Thug stands accused of eight distinct criminal charges, pertaining to a federal statute originally crafted to combat organized crime. While Georgia boasts its own RICO legislation, requiring no longevity of the accused criminal enterprises unlike the federal law, the rapper faces additional charges related to drug possession and firearm violations.
The prosecution aims to substantiate YSL, or Young Slime Life, as a felonious street syndicate accountable for a string of infractions. Conversely, the defense asserts that YSL merely denotes a music label, Young Stoner Life, and not a criminal outfit.
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