Despite last week’s controversy, Judge Ural Glanville is not recusing himself from Young Thug‘s trial. Attorney Brian Steel, representing Young Thug, filed a motion this week requesting that Glanville step down and declare a mistrial. This request followed revelations of a secret ex-parte meeting between Glanville, prosecutors, and a key witness, Kenneth Copeland. Steel argued that this private discussion was illegal and grounds for a mistrial. In response, Glanville held Steel in contempt of court for not disclosing who leaked the details of the meeting.
During a hearing on Tuesday, Glanville addressed the recusal request, stating that the complaints were “bare assertions and legal conclusions which aren’t sufficient for the court to grant your motion.” Steel accused Glanville of collaborating with the prosecution to ensure Young Thug’s conviction. He wrote in his filing: “The court has become a member of the prosecution team in an effort to thwart Mr. Williams’ [Young Thug] Constitutional right to a fair trial. This court must be recused, the court and the prosecution have violated Mr. Williams’ rights and the Indictment must be dismissed after a mistrial is declared.”
Steel further argued that the trial was “constitutionally fractured, unfair and lacks all constitutional, statutory and ethical safeguards and protections of due process of law.” He criticized the coercion of witness Copeland, who had initially agreed to testify in exchange for immunity but was pressured by Glanville and the prosecution to change his decision. Steel described this as “witness intimidation” and claimed that the court was assisting the prosecution in coercing testimony.
During the hearing, Steel confronted Glanville, saying, “I’m going to ask him how much pressure, if any, the court put on him, and you’re going to be the one instructing the jury. And I just can’t imagine how that’s fair to Mr. Williams.” Despite these arguments, Glanville remains on the case, refusing to step down.