Law&Crime Sidebar - 7 Wild Moments Between Young Thug's Lawyer and Judge That Led to Jail Time

Episode Date: June 11, 2024

Judge Ural Glanville held Jeffrey Williams’, also known as Young Thug’s, lead attorney Brian Steel in contempt of court on Monday, after Steel refused to tell him where he heard information that was discussed in a secret meeting between prosecutors, the judge, and a witness. Steel cited case law in support of not revealing the information, but Judge Glanville sentenced him to spend the next 10 weekends in jail. Law&Crime’s Jesse Weber takes us through the most shocking moments. PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW: If you experienced adverse side effects after taking Ozempic or another weight loss medication, check your eligibility to file a claim by visiting https://www.glp1case.com/sidebar/?v=osb11HOST:Jesse Weber: https://twitter.com/jessecordweberLAW&CRIME SIDEBAR PRODUCTION:YouTube Management - Bobby SzokeVideo Editing - Michael DeiningerScript Writing & Producing - Savannah WilliamsonGuest Booking - Alyssa Fisher & Diane KayeSocial Media Management - Vanessa BeinSTAY UP-TO-DATE WITH THE LAW&CRIME NETWORK:Watch Law&Crime Network on YouTubeTV: https://bit.ly/3td2e3yWhere To Watch Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3akxLK5Sign Up For Law&Crime's Daily Newsletter: https://bit.ly/LawandCrimeNewsletterRead Fascinating Articles From Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3td2IqoLAW&CRIME NETWORK SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawandcrime/Twitter: https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/lawandcrimeTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/lawandcrimenetworkTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lawandcrimeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wondery Plus subscribers can binge all episodes of this Law and Crimes series ad-free right now. Join Wondry Plus in the Wondery app Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Agent Nate Russo returns in Oracle 3, Murder at the Grandview, the latest installment of the gripping Audible Original series. When a reunion at an abandoned island hotel turns deadly, Rousseau must untangle accident from murder. But beware, something sinister lurks in the grand. View Shadows. Joshua Jackson delivers a bone-chilling performance in this supernatural thriller that

will keep you on the edge of your seat. Don't let your fears take hold of you as you dive into this addictive series. Love thrillers with a paranormal twist? The entire Oracle trilogy is available on Audible. Listen now on Audible. All that was an ex parte conversation. How did you find out about any of that? Well, I'm going to disturb two. You got five minutes. Well, I don't need it. I want to continue. Mr. Steele, I am going to hold you under still hold you in summary criminal contempt. Just when you thought it couldn't get any crazier, the RICO trial against rapper Young Thug and several co-defendants

just took another very wild turn. We're breaking down what led to the judge to storm out of the courtroom and a lead defense attorney in the custody of the bailiff. Welcome to Sidebar, presented by Law and Crime. I'm Jesse Weber. Hey there, everybody. This is another law and crime legal alert. Have you experienced severe gastroporesis or other side effects after taking Ozempic or another GLP1 weight loss medication?

While the OZempic lawsuits allege that the drug can lead to severe intestinal blockage and persistent vomiting and that the manufacturers allegedly failed to provide adequate warnings about these risks. Well, true law, one of our legal sponsors, is helping those injured file a claim through an experienced attorney who helps ensure your claim is thoroughly presented. visit glp1 case.com slash sidebar to answer just less than 10 questions and check your eligibility to file a claim. If you haven't been watching our live stream over on our long crime trials page, I'm going to tell you right now you're missing out. There is this massive racketeering and conspiracy case against rapper Jeffrey Williams, aka Young Thug, been going on for basically a year and a half so far. And I'll tell you, they are not even close to done. And while there are a lot of reasons for that, one is because of these very wild exchanges that end up happening in court. And this time, we're talking about an exchange that ended with Williams' defense attorney behind bars.

We're going to get into it. So prosecutors allege that Williams is one of the founders of YSL or Young Slime Life, which they claim is a criminal street gang that has been terrorizing Atlanta, Georgia. Defense attorneys say, though, this is just a record label. There's nothing nefarious going on. He, his co-defendants, they're charged with numerous crimes. Now, as I mentioned, there have been a lot of twists and turns, but also a lot, and I mean this when I say it, a lot of heated moments in that courtroom. And to give you context about what we're about to get into, we have to go back to Friday.

And this concerns Williams' lead defense attorney, Brian Steele. You see, the prosecutor, Adrian Love, told the court that there was more evidence that hadn't been. turned over to the state. There is a matter regarding the jail calls that we were provided. Mr. Steele has not yet provided us the ISO file. We again, we received something additional on a thumb drive last night. We had the head of our, the deputy of our jail call unit look at that, and we are again missing. We do not have the complete file.

To be able to play, though. To be able to access it properly, to be able to look at it, authentic, the cause, the time of day, all of that, we don't have it. Well, Mr. Steele did not take kindly to what prosecutor Adrian Love was saying. Judge Clamp. Sir. You allow another moment when Ms. Love calls me that I could not do something. They have the exact image of what we got from the jail in Fayette County.

That is it. And if I get another false allegation and you do nothing, I'm shocked. I'm appalled at you. I sit here day after day with this false allegation. obligation, just machine. I gave the state everything. There's been no disconstration. There's been no purposeful. I don't care. I don't care. I give over everything. I've done this for 33 years. Never in my life have I seen a trial. I've done 300 appeals in the state of Georgia alone. I've never read a case like this. Judge, I gave them everything I had. I waited. I was at my office until eight after eight last night.

I waited for their investigator to come by. I handed him an exact copy of thumb drive. They had everything that we got from the Bay Area County Jail. There's been no deconstruction. There's been no purposeful exclusion. This is not the first time. And I apologize that I'm getting tempered. But I've never been treated like this.

You talk about professionalism every week. Professionalism is lacking with one lawyer here. It has never been. I don't even like coming to court. I just love this. die for what we do. I used to say I'm dying. I would die. I couldn't choose a better profession. If I had litigate with Ms. Love, I would, I would. You know, can we strike? No, I'm speaking. Can we strike that?

Okay. Hey, yeah, yeah, everybody. Calm down. Calm down. Everybody. Both of you, please be seated. Judge, I'm not done. Both of you, please be seated. You have to do something. Wow. So look, I don't know, Mr. Steele, but clearly from watching this trial, you can tell he is very passionate. He's not afraid to make his point, and he is not afraid to stand up even to the judge. And I want you to keep that in mind. Because this wasn't the first time that Steele and Judge Earl Glanville have had words, and we've covered that before on Sidebar. And tell you what, it wouldn't be the last. Because now, let's talk about Monday. And honestly, this was a blow-up that is arguably of historic proportions in this case.

So after the lunch break on Monday, Brian Steele wanted to bring something to the court's attention. He says someone told him about a meeting in chambers between Judge Glanville, the prosecutors, and one of their key witnesses, Kenneth Copeland, also known as Lil Woody. Now, Kenneth Copeland's name has come up before during the course of this case. In fact, video of Copeland during an interrogation with investigators was leaked earlier on in this trial. and in it, Copeland appears to implicate Williams in criminal activity. So he was offered what's called use immunity, and that's when what he testifies to, his testimony, what he says on the stand, can't be used against him by the state.

Does become an interesting question if federal authorities could use it against him for federal charges, but that's a separate issue. Anyway, so Steele says that in that ex parte meeting, Copeland allegedly confessed to killing Donovan Thomas. Prosecutors have argued that Williams rented a car that was used in the drive by shooting of Thomas back in 2015. It's a key component of this case. And Steele also told the court that he was aware that assistant prosecutor Simone Hilton had allegedly told Copeland, who had pled the fifth on Friday and barely answered any questions on Monday, that he could actually be held in jail until all the defendants, all 26 of them, had their cases dispensed with.

And who knows how long that could take. So Steele was basically saying this is a kind of threat put forward by the prosecution. Now a few things here. First, ex parte communications, ex parte meanings, meaning one on one with the judge without the other parties present, that can be problematic, particularly criminal defendants who can argue they have a right to be there. Particularly if there is exculpatory information being disclosed, the defendant has a right to have that evidence presented to them. especially when you have a sworn in witness having this essentially one-on-one conversation with the judge. So with that in mind, let's listen. I was told based upon information and belief that when we arrived at 8.30, 9 o'clock today,

we did not come into your courtroom until almost 11, 1130. And what I found out just recently, this is not waived, is that supposedly in chambers, as this honorable court, an honorable court reporter at times, honorable court at times, district attorney or district attorneys from the DA's office as well as investigators, sheriff deputies, Mr. Copeland,

and his counsel met together. None of the defense team, to my knowledge, was aware that this was going on. And then somehow that email was c-ced to me that never- Mr. Mr. Joe, can I interrupt you just a second? I'm kind of disturbed because, That's ex parte.

All that was an ex parte conversation. How did you find out about any of that? Well, I'm not disturbed too. What I was told was that Mr. Copeland said... And you haven't answered my question yet. I'm not going to answer that question. You're not. No, I will not answer that question.

Why will you not answer that question? Because I want to make sure that what I say is accurate and I'm not trying to get anybody else. I'm asking you, how did you get this information? I'm not telling the court. What I'm saying is based upon information. Okay, well, listen, if you don't tell me how you got this information, then you and I are going to have some. problems. We can have, I have problems right now.

Okay, I know, look, I don't, I don't want to know about your problems, okay, at this point in time. All I'm asking you at this point in time is, how did you come upon this information? Look, if the case gets reviewed, the record's going to be available for our appellate court and for whatever reason. But it's disturbing that somehow you have surreptitiously gotten information in regards to the court's private ex parte conversations with a party. I mean, a party, a witness who was sworn in Friday, the court's telling, this is what I was told. If this is not true, not true. This court handed, Mr. Copeland, tell me how you got, perjury, tell me how you got the information.

Listen, whatever you want to do to me. Tell me how you got the information, then we can go ahead and go forward. I'm not going to say that. What I'm going to say is this. I was told, and I hope this concerns the court. It concerns me that you have proprietary information. Why is it for me? that that you should not be having that was ex parte.

Why? With a party. Why? State of Georgia. How about the witness? How about Mr. Copeland, who supposedly announced he's not testifying and he'll sit for two years and then supposedly this honorable court. Okay.

Excuse me. Let me rephrase that this court supposedly said, I can hold you until the end of this trial. Ms. Hilton supposedly said actually all of the defendants and then all 26 people are disposed of. Is that true what this is? is coercion, witness intimidation, ex parte communications that we have a constitutional right to be present for. So I understand that you're upset towards me, but I don't know what I did. Mr. Steele, I still want to know. How did you come upon this information? Who told you?

What I want to know is why wasn't I there? Why did this happen? Sir, I'm going to hold you in contempt if you don't tell me who this information is going from. I don't want to be held in contempt. Well, not answering that question. That's attorney-client privilege information. I am not attorney client privilege. Unless you were in my chambers, that's the only way you can figure out. I am telling you. I'm going to give you five minutes. If you don't tell me who you don't have to. If you don't tell me who it is, I'm going to put you

I'm going to put you in contempt. I understand. That is not attorney client privilege. Attorney work product privilege. I am not telling you. How did you get that information supposedly from my chambers? Did somebody tell you? I'm not. You should have told me. You got five minutes. Well, I don't need it. I want to

Continue. This is what I was told. Mr. Copeland, Mr. Copeland made statements that he admitted to killing Don't take my notes. No, no, no, no, no. Okay, the judge called for a five-minute recess, and when he came back, he demanded to know how Steele had learned about this private meeting in the judge's chambers and what was set. And here's where it gets complicated, because it seems Steele is saying, Judge, you're giving me an impossible choice here. If I tell you I violate the ethics rules. Mr. Steele, before I recessed, I asked you, how did you get this information? And it is not covered by work product. There's only one way you could have gotten in. So I'm going to ask you again. And I respect that. And it gives me no joy.

But as you know, Georgia rule of professional conduct, please check me with 1.6 comment five. reason, this is what I have. 1.6 lies. I know what the rule says, but here's the thing. But you got, but you, but in order, you know, you, you need to please tell me who you got it from. I'm not asking you some in substance of anything as of yet, okay? But I need you to tell me how you got the information.

If you don't tell me how you got the information, I'm going to hold you in contempt. I understand. I don't want to be helping contempt. And I don't want to hold you in contempt, but you, but it's, but, but, but, this is, But this is so sacrosanct to have a conversation in my chambers parroted to you and others. It is that serious. Yeah. That's why I raise it.

It is that serious that we should have been there and it shouldn't happen. Sir, that's a whole, that's a whole separate issue. And that's why, that's why ex parte conversations are recorded. Why would it be ex parte? You're acting like it's ex parte under seal. No, it's ex parte because that's what the state asked me to do. It's just like when you asked me for an ex parte conversation. I've never asked this honorable court or any court to meet with me and a witness.

Sir, tell you're straying off the issue. I'm not. I'm trying to read. The issue is, the issue is how did you, who, how did you get this information? I understand the issue. I promise you, I understand it. But what I'm trying to ask you is if you look at Common Five, this is how I understand the law. You can't violate something and then use privilege.

I'm not violating anything. Okay, but that's why I'm saying, how did you get for information? But just listen to what I'm trying to tell you. Okay, but you're saying, you're threatening with contempt. The privilege would occur. The privilege in 1.6 would occur if you were in the right place, right time to begin with. You weren't. Let me tell you, I'm just reading from it.

But if I'm reading it wrong, I'm not trying to. It says 1.6 applies not merely to matters communicated in confidence by the client, but also to all information gained in the professional relationship, whatever its source. So you're asking me to break your ordering me up, maybe, or you're asking me, I'm not saying you're ordering me, but to give you information and you're saying it's not substance, but I'm telling you I can't do that under the bar room. All right. Well, I'm going to hold you in contempt.

And you can think about it five o'clock today. we'll see where you are at that stand on that point because no that's not what i that's not what i understand the rule to be i've i've not asked you some in substance of what was said i asked you how you got it i can't do that yes you can because i have an idea how you got it well your i have an idea how you got it but that's improper your idea may be wrong and you're asking me to listen i told you the first time and i'm not to reach that confidence i don't want to hold you content, but this is that serious. Judge, I'm not.

You cannot ease-drop and get information that was not meant for you to hear at that particular point in time. Judge, listen, and listen, I'll do whatever you want to 5 o'clock or thereafter.

But what I'm trying to tell you is, Your Honor, this is so serious to me. We need a hearing, and I'm moving for a mistrial. It is my understanding based upon information belief from part of it. From whom? Well, I'd like to get the substance first, and then we can talk about it.

Okay, well, then you'll be in custody until then because I, because you need to tell me how you got the information. I'm not asking you what was said. You've already kind of given us some snippets of what you said. That tells me that somebody parroted that information to you. So, but you're assuming something because I told you already. Well, then other than if you were, if you were sitting, unless you were sitting in there, whether a recorder or Ms. Love or Ms. Hilton, or one of the deputies gave you that information,

or Ms. Weaver shot you a rough copy of the transcript. There's only one other person that left. Well, Your Honor? And if that person gave you that information or shared that information with you, she probably violated privilege. Well, let me tell you two things. One, I don't know how that is a privileged communication. It shouldn't be next part of it.

Well, it's because she has a client she's supposed to represent. Who are you talking about? But anyways, I'm not going to have a... What I got this information... I'm not going to have any further conversation with you about this. I want to know the question still remains. I want to know how... Who gave you the information?

I'd like to know what information happened outside our presence. That's really it. He can go in the custody of this point of time. Prosecutor, Adrian Love, she actually asked that Brian Steele be allowed back in the courtroom for the rest of the day's proceeding. the judge eventually led him back in and at the end of the day discussed the contempt proceeding. So what happened? Ashley Merchant, who's a very well-known Atlanta defense attorney who we recently saw during the attempt to remove DA Fannie Willis from the Donald Trump, Georgia

case, she represented Brian Steele during all this. And Merchant and a second attorney, Alex Souser, argued that if Steele was in contempt of court, there needs to be a hearing because there's a difference between civil contempt and criminal contempt where Merchant was saying, if it's the latter, if it's criminal contempt, you need to hold a hearing for due process purposes. And another judge needs to hear this because Glanville is a witness in this issue. Judge Glanville disagreed. Is it criminal contempt that you held him in?

Yes, ma'am. Okay. And you said you had a hearing earlier today. No, with criminal contempt, I told him what the contempt was. And that was, he refused to tell, you know, order of the court, if counsel, as you know, if the court orders you to do something and you don't, that's criminal contempt. So I've asked him several times, please just tell me who it is that told you. I didn't ask or inquire about anything that was said.

I just want to know who it was. Now, Mr. Steele has indicated to us, he does not believe that he can answer the question without violating his duty of loyalty and duty of confidentiality to his client. So he is being placed in a position where he's either going to jail or he's going to commit a offense that will put his license to practice law at risk. And that is an untenable position to be in. And Mr. Steele is a zealous advocate for his client, and he is simply trying to protect that duty of loyalty and duty of confidentiality, because if he answers your question, it is

very reasonable to assume and likely that he will be facing a bar complaint that could result in a suspension or the boss of his license. And so he's in a very, very difficult position where if we were able to have a full contested hearing with the benefit of witnesses and an impartial judge where you're a witness, then everybody could present their silent story. I'm not doing that. The reason being is because that takes away the whole point of criminal contempt, and that is you do something, the court tells you to do something, order of the court, and you don't follow it. I didn't ask him to do anything, illegal, immoral, unethical. I just asked him to tell me, I know what the, what the privilege is.

The privilege is the conversation. I didn't ask him about that. I wanted to ask him about who, the person, because that, okay, I'm sorry. Mr. Steele has indicated to us that he does not believe he can answer that question without also violating the privilege. And it didn't end there. No, because Merchant also advised Judge Glanville that there were 25 attorneys from the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense lawyers that were right outside that courtroom that were ready to jump in to represent Mr. Steele. They were waiting in the hallway. Judge Glanville said, there's no room in that courtroom for all of them. Merchant apparently said, well, what about the jury box? Glanville said, no, basically, not a chance, not putting them in there. Now, talking about support for a second, on X, there was a lot of support for Steele from the legal community. A lot of people felt he was in the right. But what happened? Well, the judge wanted to take a short break, which ended up being more than an hour.

convened Monday night. Mr. Steele, I am going to hold you under, still hold you in summary criminal contempt pursuant to OCGA 15-1-3 subpart 3 for your failure to comply with my earlier order today. I'm going to order that you'd be taking into custody, incarcerated the Fulton County deal for no more than 20 days for this contempt. Those 20 days consisting of every weekend for the next 10 weekends. And you'll be reporting to 911 Wright Street, North West, Atlanta, Georgia, 303.18 at 7 p.m. on Fridays and will be released on 7 p.m. on Sundays and it's to commence this Friday, June the 14th at 7 p.m. and not to end until Sunday, August the 18th at 20, 2024, 7 p.m. Subute to further order at this court. And that will be entered and e-filed. And you may take whatever steps you and your counsel deem appropriate after that. Okay? Can I ask a question? Sure.

I'm going to file a notice of appeal, but for whatever reason that doesn't take and you don't give a bond, then I'd ask that I can be with Mr. Williams and we work on our case all weekend for all those weekends. Otherwise, I can't prepare. I speak with Mr. Williams all the time. That's up to you. Sir, I will, if that comes to pass, you have my support. I will talk with our sheriff and we may be able to make that work, okay?

So Glanville ended up signing an order holding Brian Steele in direct criminal contempt, demanding that he spend the next 10 weekends in jail. A motion to set aside the contempt was filed almost immediately and in it. The attorneys reiterated what Steele had mentioned before, Georgia Bar Rule 1.6 regarding confidentiality. This is a lawyer shall maintain in confidence. all information gained in the professional relationship with the client. But in a comment to the rule, it says, quote,

Rule 1.6 applies not merely to matters communicated in confidence by the client, but also to all information gained in the professional relationship, whatever its source. So that's what they're relying on there. And why Brian Steele didn't have to reveal his source of information. The appeal also states, quote, hours after holding Mr. Steele in criminal contempt, the court stated that Mr. Steele can only purge himself of the contempt by telling the court from where he got information that he shouldn't

have had. Thus, the court has imposed an illegal and inherently inconsistent punishment for this criminal contempt. Moreover, the court has involved himself in these proceedings, and thus the court must recuse and allow these proceedings to be handled by a separate court. So just a wild an incredible turn of events in this trial, maybe not surprising given everything we've already seen so far in this case. And we shall see if Brian Steele is actually sent to the Fulton County jail on Friday night. If so, he actually asked for the court's permission if he could share a jail cell with his client, Jeffrey Williams, so he can repair his defense. The judge agreed. This is like my cousin Vinnie, but in real life. Now, there are some who are speculating that there will be

calls for Judge Glanville to recuse himself from the entire trial because everything is so tainted. And that could mean starting this whole process all over again. We'll see what happens. That's all we have for you right now here on Sidebar. Everybody, thank you so much for joining us. As always, please subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, wherever you get your podcast. I'm Jesse Weber. I'll speak to you next time.

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