The judge presiding over rapper Young Thug’s gang trial has been removed from the case, marking a major development in Georgia’s longest-running trial. Judge Rachel Krause issued the ruling on Monday, a month after it was revealed that Judge Ural Glanville had held a secret “ex parte” meeting with prosecutors and a key witness, which the defense argued violated their right to a fair trial.
Judge Glanville defended the meeting’s propriety and resisted calls to step down. However, he referred the matter to Krause to decide if he should continue. Krause determined that while Glanville could likely continue fairly, maintaining public confidence in the judicial system required his removal.
“This court has no doubt that Judge Glanville can and would continue presiding fairly over this matter if the recusal motions were denied,” Krause wrote. “But the necessity of preserving the public’s confidence in the judicial system weighs in favor of excusing Judge Glanville from further handling of this case.”
Krause did not name a replacement judge or indicate how this decision would affect the trial timeline, which has been ongoing for over 18 months. Prosecutors and defense attorneys did not immediately comment.
Young Thug’s attorney, Brian Steel, praised Krause’s decision. “Jeffery Williams is innocent of the charges brought in this indictment and to clear his name he sought a speedy trial, one in which he would receive the constitutional guarantees of a fair trial with an impartial judge presiding and ethical prosecutors following the law,” Steel said. “Sadly, Judge Glanville and the prosecutors have run afoul of their duties under of the law.”
Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, and numerous others were indicted in May 2022. Prosecutors allege that his “YSL” was a gang called “Young Slime Life” involved in violent crimes under Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) law.
The trial has faced many delays, with jury selection alone taking more than 10 months. Prosecutors have spent months presenting witnesses, and the trial is expected to continue into next year.
Last month, Steel exposed a secret meeting between Glanville, prosecutors, and witness Kenneth Copeland. Steel claimed Glanville coerced Copeland to testify by threatening extended jail time, calling for a mistrial. Glanville then demanded to know Steel’s source for the information and ordered Steel jailed when he refused to disclose it. Defense attorneys have since demanded Glanville’s recusal.
“Glanville’s actions offend public confidence in the independence, integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary,” defendant Yak Gotti (Deamonte Kendrick) wrote in a petition to Georgia’s Supreme Court.
Krause’s ruling stated the ex parte meeting, while perhaps best held in open court, was not inherently improper. It was Glanville’s handling of the aftermath that necessitated his removal. “In presenting his record as to the recusal issues and in ruling on Kendrick’s motion, Judge Glanville evaluated and accepted the truth of his own factual allegations, mandating his recusal,” Krause wrote.
