ATLANTA (AP) — On Tuesday, Georgia’s Supreme Court overturned a contempt ruling against Brian Steel, the attorney representing rapper Young Thug, stemming from his refusal to disclose how he learned of a confidential meeting involving Judge Ural Glanville, prosecutors, and a prosecution witness.
Young Thug, born Jeffery Williams, faces multiple charges, including violations of Georgia’s anti-racketeering and gang statutes. He is currently on trial in Atlanta, alongside five co-defendants, as part of a wider indictment involving over two dozen individuals accused of similar offenses, including gang, drug, and gun crimes.
In June, Judge Glanville had found Steel in contempt of court and sentenced him to serve ten weekends in jail, a punishment which was delayed pending an appeal. Steel contended that the information he received was protected by attorney-client privilege and insisted that he did not interfere with court proceedings. He further argued that Judge Glanville should have recused himself from the contempt case because of the allegations against him.
The justices of the Supreme Court agreed with Steel, determining that due process required Judge Glanville to recuse himself from the contempt proceedings. “Because the court delayed punishment, the alleged disobedience was directed toward the court, and the court was involved in the controversy that formed the basis of the contempt, due process required the judge to recuse from the contempt proceeding. We therefore reverse the contempt imposed by the trial court,” stated Presiding Justice Nels Peterson in the court’s unanimous opinion.
Young Thug was charged two years ago and is currently enduring a lengthy trial that began jury selection in January 2023, which extended for nearly ten months. Opening statements commenced in November, with the prosecution presenting its case and calling an array of witnesses since then.
On June 10, Steel alerted Judge Glanville in open court about having learned of the meeting that occurred earlier that day in the judge’s chambers. He subsequently filed for a mistrial. In his contempt ruling, Glanville expressed “serious concern with how this information was improperly disclosed” to Steel, although Steel maintained that no court order had been issued to classify the information as confidential.
In July, following the incident involving the meeting, Judge Glanville was removed from the high-profile case. Another judge supported the motions filed by two defendants asking for Glanville’s recusal, indicating that while she didn’t blame him for the meeting, it was essential to maintain public confidence in the judicial system.
The case has since been reassigned to Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker, and legal proceedings are expected to continue into next year.
