As regular readers already know, the legal system in Fulton County, Georgia is a complete mess.
The latest fiasco involves a RICO case against one rapper named Young Thug and co-defendants, in which Mr. Thug (Jeffrey Lamar Williams) and pals have been charged with several gang-related crimes related to the "Young Slime Life" group.
During a Monday court hearing, Mr. Thug's attorney, Brian Steel, was arrested after alleging that the judge, Ural Glanville, alleged a "secret" meeting with a key witness, Kenneth Copeland (a no-no).
Judge Glanville gave Steel until 5pm to disclose his source regarding the secret meeting, arguing that Steel wasn't supposed to have any communication with a state witness sworn to testify.
Steel, facing a contempt charge, refused to reveal his source citing attorney-client privilege - after which he can be seen being taken into custody.
Watch (via Collin Rugg):
NEW: Rapper Young Thug's lawyer *arrested* after finding out about a secret meeting that the judge allegedly had with prosecutors and a star witness.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) June 10, 2024
Fulton County is a mess.
Lawyer Brian Steel confronted Judge Ural Glanville about an alleged secret meeting.
When Steel… pic.twitter.com/wihGUb1oth
Copeland, the witness, spent the weekend in jail after refusing to testify on Friday. As 6ABC reports, he ended up testifying on Monday but evaded much of the questioning.
After a lunch break, Steel claimed that prosecutors told Copeland that he could remain in jail for the duration of the trial and possibly until all 26 defendants' cases are resolved.
"If that's true, it's coercion and witness intimidation," Steel said.
Young Thug's second attorney, Keith Adams, also moved for a mistrial.
"Okay, and the challenge I'm having in this particular circumstance -- this is such a violation of the sacrosanctness of the court's chambers and an ex parte conversation. You're glossing over that in its entirety," Adams said.
Max Schardt, an attorney for one of Mr. Thug's co-defendants, Shannon Stillwell, also claimed that the judge held a meeting with prosecutors and Copeland. According to Schardt, the trial needs to be halted until they can get a transcript of the meeting. He also called for a mistrial.
That said, this isn't the first lawyer arrested as part of the trial.
This latest incident adds to the courtroom drama seen during the trial. In February, police arrested one of the defendants' lawyers on gang charges. Another attorney was handcuffed for bringing prescription medication into the courtroom, while another had his laptop seized in the middle of court. Nearly every public defender threatened to leave the case, citing insufficient pay. -6ABC
Looks like Fani was just the tip of the iceberg in Fulton County. Good thing they're paragons of integrity when it comes to counting votes, right?
