YSL Young Thug trial: Georgia Supreme Court declines emergency motion to recuse judge

The Supreme Court of Georgia has dismissed an emergency motion filed by Deamonte Kendrick, a defendant in the YSL RICO trial. Kendrick sought to disqualify Fulton County Chief Judge Ural Glanville from presiding over his case. 

Kendrick's motion originated from a meeting involving Judge Glanville, assistant district attorneys, a state's witness, and the witness's attorney. Kendrick's attorneys found out about the meeting two days later on  June 10. He filed the motion to recuse Judge Glanville, arguing that the judge improperly denied the motion without referring it to another judge. 

In an unusual legal maneuver, Kendrick's attorney bypassed the normal appellate process, claiming that the case would ultimately return to Judge Glanville. The motion also requested an unredacted transcript of the meeting in question. 

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The Supreme Court's decision underscored its policy of exercising original jurisdiction only in exceptional circumstances. The court noted that Kendrick had not pursued relief through standard legal procedures, specifically a standalone mandamus petition in the superior court. 

The court emphasized that if such a petition were filed, Chief Judge Glanville would be automatically disqualified from presiding over it, and the matter would be assigned to another judge. As a result, Kendrick's emergency petition for a writ of mandamus and a stay of proceedings was dismissed.