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Fulton County Judge Ural Glanville recused from Young Thug/YSL trial

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Updated  July 15, 2024 11:11pm EDT
YSL Trial
FOX 5 Atlanta

Judge Glanville recused from Young Thug, YSL trial

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville has been removed from presiding over the Young Thug, YSL RICO trial. It comes after defense attorneys argued that he acted improperly in the case.

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville has been removed from the Young Thug/YSL case in Fulton County.

Fulton County Judge Rachel Krause issued her ruling on the motions submitted by attorneys for Jeffery Williams and Deamonte Kendrick and attorney Kayla Bumpus on July 15.

In her ruling, Krause stated that while the court has "no doubt that Judge Glanville can and would continue presiding fairly over this matter if the recusal motions were denied," the "necessity of preserving the public's confidence in the judicial system" weighs in favor of excusing Judge Glanville from further handling of the case.

Krause granted both Kendrick's and Williams' motions to recuse Judge Glanville. However, she denied Bumpus' motion to quash the show cause order and recuse Judge Glanville because it is "moot."

Defense attorneys, particularly Young Thug's lawyer Brian Steel, have been filing motions for months for a mistrial, claiming that Judge Glanville was biased against them and their clients.

However, it was an ex parte meeting on June 10 between Judge Glanville, prosecutors from the Fulton County District Attorney's Office, and state witness Kenneth Copeland that led to multiple requests for recusal.

Quantavious Grier, brother of Young Thug, will now have to serve the remainder of his sentence in prison after being discovered with a weapon.

Quantavious Grier, brother of Young Thug, will now have to serve the remainder of his sentence in prison after being discovered with a weapon. (FOX 5)

In the order, Krause said she "generally agreed" with Judge Glanville's assessment regarding the propriety of the ex parte meeting, but she did note that the meeting could have or perhaps should have been held in open court. 

The initial recusal requests went to Glanville, who denied them. Kendrick then tried to bypass Judge Glanville by appealing to the Georgia Supreme Court. They declined to consider it, but ordered another judge to review the motions.

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Judge Krause was assigned to the case. Steel also attempted to have Judge Krause recused based on the fact that Judge Glanville donated to her re-election campaign a few months ago and because they are both judges in Fulton County, but she denied the motion.

At this time, it is unknown who will take over the case or when the trial will resume.

What are the charges Young Thug faces?

A Fulton County grand jury indicted Young Thug (Jeffery Williams) in May 2022, and more charges were added in a subsequent indictment in August of that year. The second indictment accused Young Thug and 27 other people of conspiring to violate Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, known as RICO. The rapper is also accused of participation in criminal street gang activity, as well as drug and gun charges.

Prosecutors say Williams and two other people co-founded a violent criminal street gang in 2012 called Young Slime Life, or YSL, which they say is associated with the national Bloods gang. The indictment says Young Thug "made YSL a well-known name by referring to it in his songs and on social media."

In addition to specific charges, the August indictment includes a wide-ranging list of 191 acts that prosecutors say were committed between 2013 and 2022 as part of the alleged conspiracy to further the gang’s interests.

Included in that list is an allegation that Williams threatened in July 2015 to shoot a security guard who was trying to get him to leave an Atlanta-area mall. The indictment also says Williams rented a silver Infiniti sedan that was used in the killing of a rival gang member. And, on numerous occasions, he and others are alleged to have possessed various illegal drugs that they intended to distribute.

Who is on trial with Young Thug?

The other defendants still facing trial include Marquavius Huey, Deamonte Kendrick (known as Yak Gotti), Quamarvious Nichols, Rodalius Ryan and Shannon Stillwell.

RELATED: YSL defendants in court: Several remaining defendants reject plea deals

The other defendants who have already pleaded guilty to various charges prior to jury selection include Gunna, whose given name is Sergio Kitchens; Young Thug's older brother, Quantavious Grier (Unfoonk); Trontavious Stephens (Tick); and Antonio Sledge (Mounk Tounk).