Lawyer Young Thug Held in Contempt of Court

A judge found Young Thug’s attorney in contempt of court on day 88 of the sprawling RICO trial against the Atlanta rapper. This stunning moment occurred in Fulton County Superior Court after the lunch break on Monday, June 10, when the gunman’s lawyer, Brian Steel, spoke with Judge Ural Glanville regarding a private meeting between the judge, the prosecution and star witness Lil Woody, or rather Kenneth. Copeland, according to Law&Crime editor Cathy Russon. At the end of the day, Judge Glanville sentenced Steel to remain in custody for a maximum of 20 days, from 7pm on Fridays to 7pm on Sundays, from June 14 to August 18.

“I’m a little concerned because it was all an ex parte conversation,” Glanville Steel said in court. – How did you find out about this conversation? Steel claimed that Lil Woody admitted to killing Donovan “Nut” Thomas during an interview with the judge and prosecutors. Glanville warned Steel that he had five minutes to reveal his sources or he would be found in contempt of court.

Before his arrest, Steel argued that meeting a witness without a lawyer present violated procedural rules. “You must not communicate with a witness who has been sworn in,” he told the court, seeking a mistrial, according to Atlanta Journal-constitution. Lil Woody himself spent the weekend behind bars after refusing to testify even though he has an immunity deal contingent on his testimony. According to Steel, the prosecutor’s office warned Lil Woody that he could be held in custody while the trial is pending or while the defendant’s cases are pending in court. “If true, we are dealing with coercion, witness intimidation and ex parte communications where we have a constitutional right to be present,” Steel told the judge. Refusing to tell Glanville how he learned of the meeting, attorney Young Thug was escorted from the courtroom. “You are removing me against his will, my will, and you are depriving him of his right to counsel,” he said as he was led away.

Still contemptuous, Steel was finally allowed back into chambers at the request of the district attorney, and given a deadline to tell Glanville who had leaked the information, or face re-arrest. According to reports, a “sea of ​​lawyers” gathered outside the courtroom, including Ashleigh Merchant, president of the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Steel’s law partner and wife, Colette Resnik Steel, filed an appeal and a motion for bail. Lil Woody, for his part, has been released from custody.