Why the judge in Young Thug’s trial was just recused from the case

The judge presiding over the federal racketeering trial of rapper Young Thug and others has officially been taken off the case. Fulton County Chief Judge Ural Glanville was ordered to be recused from the high-profile case on Monday after multiple defendants filed complaints against him for holding “improper meetings” with a witness for the prosecution.

The new Fulton County Court filing that details the recusal explains that on June 7, the prosecution intended to call a witness in the case named Kenneth Copeland to testify. Copeland refused to testify, was held in contempt of court and jailed until June 10. According to the court doc, on the morning of June 10, Glanville called a meeting in his chambers with the prosecution, lawyers representing Copeland and Copeland himself but “counsel for the trial defendants did not participate in the meeting and were not aware that the meeting was taking place.”

Brian Steel, the attorney for the Atlanta rapper (nee Jeffery Williams), formally objected to this “ex parte meeting,” and he, along with another lawyer for co-defendant Deamonte Kendrick, filed motions to recuse Glanville. After two weeks of reviewing these motions, Judge Rachel Krause officially granted the recusal this week. In her decision, Krause noted that she still believed in Glanville’s ability to preside over the case, 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.”

This turn of events is the latest update in a drawn-out trial that, to date, has lasted over a year. Since opening statements last November, the prosecution has argued its case with dozens of witnesses and used Thugger’s song lyrics as evidence.

In response to the recusal, Young Thug’s attorney released a statement: “Jeffrey 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. Sadly, Judge Glanville and the prosecutors have run afoul of their duties under the law. Mr. Williams is grateful that the reviewing court agreed with him and entered the order recusing and disqualifying Judge Glanville from presiding over Mr. Williams’ case. We look forward to proceeding with a trial judge who will fairly and faithfully follow the law.”

The new judge replacing Granville in the case is Judge Shukura L. Ingram.