Georgia
How the Young Thug trial in Fulton County, Georgia, went off the rails- Washington Examiner
A defense attorney in the trial of a famous rapper asked Judge Ural Glanville on Wednesday to recuse himself from the case over allegations the judge tampered with a witness. Glanville denied his request on the spot.
It was the latest twist in Young Thug’s trial, which has transformed into a drama playing out in Georgia’s Fulton County Superior Court about allegations of a corrupt judge, the arrest of the rapper’s attorney, and the prospect of a mistrial in a complex racketeering case eating up enormous public resources.
Controversy surrounding the case escalated this week after Glanville charged Young Thug’s attorney Brian Steel with contempt as Steel was actively defending his client in the courtroom.
Below is a look at how the case began and what happened this week that put Glanville under an intense spotlight.
The case against Young Thug
Young Thug, a Grammy-winning rapper whose legal name is Jeffrey Williams, was indicted in May 2022 on gang-related charges under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.
Young Thug and 27 co-defendants were hit with a slew of felonies in addition to the RICO charge, including murder, armed robbery, and illegal possession of firearms.
The rapper, for his part, is facing nine charges, which include the RICO violation, participation in criminal street gang activity, and possession of drugs and weapons.
Young Thug has been incarcerated in Cobb County Jail since his indictment and is alleged to have led the gang Young Slime Life, or YSL. YSL Records is also the name of Williams’s record label.
The drawn-out trial began last November, but the case was dragging on even before that as it saw various motions to sever, guilty pleas, and a difficult 10-month jury selection process.
When the trial finally did begin, the number of co-defendants had been whittled down to six. All have pleaded not guilty to their charges.
Law & Crime has been livestreaming the trial.
The case is one of two high-profile RICO cases that has devolved in District Attorney Fani Willis’s jurisdiction. The other, an election interference case brought against former President Donald Trump, is on hold indefinitely as an appellate court weighs accusations that Willis had an irreversible conflict of interest due to her past romantic relationship with a prosecutor.
Chaos in the courtroom
The mayhem this week in Young Thug’s trial centered on testimony from Kenneth Copeland, one of prosecutors’ key witnesses in the case.
Copeland agreed to testify against Young Thug in exchange for immunity, but when he took the stand to testify last week, he opted not to answer questions and instead pointed to the Fifth Amendment.
Steel, Young Thug’s attorney, revealed on Monday that he found out Glanville and state prosecutors met with Copeland behind closed doors — in what is known as an “ex parte” setting, which excludes the other parties in the case — and pressured Copeland to testify by threatening to charge him with perjury if he did not.
It is a violation of Georgia’s Code of Judicial Conduct for a judge to have an ex parte meeting about “substantive matters,” such as pushing a witness to testify.
But what raised more alarm than the meeting was Glanville’s reaction when he was confronted about it.
When Steel raised concerns about Glanville and prosecutors employing “coercion and witness intimidation” tactics, the judge did not address the meeting directly but rather demanded to know how Steel had found out about it and threatened him with contempt of court.
“How did you get this information?” Glanville asked. “If you don’t tell me how you got this information then you and I are gonna have some problems.”
After Steel refused to reveal his source, the judge ordered he be taken into custody and police escorted Steel out of the courtroom.
Attorneys rally behind Young Thug lawyer
Attorney Ashleigh Merchant, who was at the forefront of the effort to oust Willis from Trump’s trial, entered the picture on Tuesday and asked Glanville to clarify his contempt charges against Steel.
When Glanville responded that he held Steel in criminal contempt, Merchant noted the judge skipped all due process protocol that criminal contempt would normally require.
Merchant, the president of the Georgia Association Criminal Defense Lawyers, told the judge that roughly two dozen other attorneys wanted to appear as a “strike force” with her at the courthouse in support of Steel, but the judge said room would not allow it. Merchant then settled for one additional attorney to appear with her.
Steel is appealing the contempt order, and on Wednesday, the Supreme Court of Georgia granted him the ability to pay bond instead of report to jail while his appeal is pending.
Meanwhile, another defense attorney named Doug Weinstein asked Glanville to recuse himself from the case on Wednesday.
“Don’t you want to get rid of the cloud above the case right now?” Weinstein asked.
Glanville immediately denied the motion and then denied Weinstein’s follow-up request that he be granted a certificate to file for review of Glanville’s decision.
Steel had previously called for a mistrial in the case over the ex parte fiasco, and Glanville also denied that.
The events that have unfolded in the trial over the past week have dominated headlines in Georgia, stunned legal experts, and even attracted the attention of social media influencers.
Georgia-based defense attorney Andrew Fleischman indicated that Glanville appeared intent on keeping the trial going despite the chaos and said his removal would be necessary before a mistrial could occur.
“What we’ve seen so far is enough to grant a new trial on appeal,” Fleischman said. “But whether there is a mistrial will depend entirely on whether this judge remains because he has made it clear that no mistrial request will be granted.”
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Anthony Michael Kreis, a constitutional law professor at Georgia State University, told the New York Times after Steel confronted Glanville that the chain of events was a “complete circus” and “straight out of Law & Order.”
“So often I have to disabuse people of the notion that court is like those shows, but yesterday the dramatics just overshadowed everything and that’s really not helpful to the process,” Kreis said.
Don’t sleep on the Yellow Jackets heading into the 2026 season.
They have several big games in conference play against some of the conference’s elite. As they have shown us before, they are no stranger to pulling off big-time victories and shocking the college football world, especially as an underdog. Let’s talk about three reasons why the Yellow Jackets can beat the ACC elite this upcoming season.
1. They’ve Done It Before
Georgia Tech is no stranger to beating top ACC teams in the Brent Key era. They have done it consistently, multiple times. There are a myriad of examples to point to. You can go to the North Carolina game back in 2023, played in primetime on the Flats.
The Yellow Jackets defeated top pick and now New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye in a 46-42 victory. You can go back to the 2024 season in Ireland when the Yellow Jackets upset then No.10 Florida State 24-21. In that same year, Georgia Tech knocked off future No.1 overall pick Cam Ward and the No.4 Miami Hurricanes, handing them their first loss of the season in a 28-23.
There are many other examples I can point to illustrate this point, but you can see the Yellow Jackets never back down and come to play when it matters most against the elite teams in the conference. They have done it with a good offense and an opportunistic defense. With Louisville, Clemson, and Virginia Tech on the schedule, they should be primed to do it again in 2026.
2. Georgia Tech Has An Identity
It is pretty simple: under head coach Brent Key, this Yellow Jackets team has an identity and a culture that sets it apart. They want to play physical, smash-mouth football and dominate you in the trenches on both sides of the ball. Coach Key has meant what he said this offseason about getting more size and girth, but also having offensive linemen who can move. It was one of the reasons why they were aggressive in the portal and one of the reasons why they are having success with the 2027 cycle.
When you look at Georgia Tech, they are going to run the football and play good defense. That makes the job easier for a first-time starter in Alberto Mendoza, who has a lighter load with the moves made this offseason. When you play in those major matchups, you have to lean on something to come out on top, and what better way than the true identity of your team?
3. The Defense Will Be Much Better
From top to bottom, the Yellow Jackets are poised to be much better defensively. When you look at the depth of the roster, the new defensive scheme, the talent level, and the hunger, you have a team that should be one of the better units in the conference. In order to beat the conference elite, you have to have a good defense that can travel and make plays late in games to seal it for you.
While Georgia Tech showed glimpses of that a season ago, the consistency in November just wasn’t there. With Jason Semore becoming the new defensive coordinator and a more attack-style, aggressive man-to-man defense, Georgia Tech should be equipped to force more turnovers and make a difference by getting the ball back to the offense.
The spring gave us a good glimpse of what the defense could look like despite so many injuries and players out. The defense flat-out shut down the Yellow Jackets, creating constant pressure and causing havoc for an offense trying to find its footing in the spring game. While some will say to take it with a grain of salt, it is clear that the Yellow Jackets will be a much better unit in 2026.
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Pennsbury Baseball Zuckerman District One Championship PIAA
Pennsbury junior Brendan Zuckerman smacks an RBI single to left in the Falcons’ 7-run first inning of District One 6A championship victory
Ryan Zuckerman is last on the alphabetical list of the 335 college and high school baseball players attending the June 22-27 MLB Draft Combine in Phoenix.
What the 2023 Pennsbury graduate did in his lone season at Georgia Tech has garnered him plenty of attention from MLB scouts regardless of where his name is on a list that includes Holy Ghost Prep grad Aiden Robbins, a Texas outfield standout who is expected to go as early as late in the first round, fellow Pennsbury graduate Joe Tiroly, an infielder from Virginia, and Pennsbury senior right-handed pitcher Keller Bradley.
MVP of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament for the conference champion Yellow Jackets, second-team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and leader in home runs (23) and RBIs (79, tied for eighth in the country) for the high-powered Georgia Tech offense are just a few of Zuckerman’s notable accomplishments heading into the July 11-13 draft. He is projected to go toward the middle of the 20 rounds.
“It’s pretty surreal for sure,” said Zuckerman, 21. “It’s something I dreamed of my whole life.”
In a season filled with memorable moments, perhaps most impressive was Zuckerman being named ACC Tournament MVP after hitting three home runs with six RBIs and batting .571 (8 for 14), culminating in a 13-6 championship game win over North Carolina in Charlotte. He also was a first-team All-ACC selection at third base.
Zuckerman and Georgia Tech went into the NCAA Atlanta regional as the nation’s No. 2 seed. Though the 50-11 Yellow Jackets ended up being eliminated by losing twice to Oklahoma, including 8-7 in 10 innings for the regional title, Zuckerman can only rave about his experience at Georgia Tech.
“If you would have told me that’s how the season for me and each of us on the team would’ve gone, I would’ve been extremely happy,” Zuckerman said. “It was probably the best decision I ever made in my life.”
After a solid sophomore season at Pitt in which he hit .295 with 16 doubles, 13 home runs, 48 RBIs and 48 runs scored, Zuckerman believed transferring would help him develop into a more pro-ready player and allow him to win more games. And Georgia Tech checked all the boxes
In addition to his career-best home run and RBI numbers, Zuckerman led Georgia Tech in 2026 with 24 multi-RBI games while establishing career-highs in batting average (.345), runs (71), hits (80), walks (37), slugging percentage (.720) and on-base percentage (.438). He batted fifth in the order.
The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Zuckerman, who always had a strong arm, also worked hard to improve his defense at third base, resulting in 15.99 defensive runs saved for the season, which was the 13th-highest total in college baseball.
“I like to say I’m arguably the best third baseman in the country,” he said.
As a senior playing third at Pennsbury, Zuckerman hit .465 with an on-base percentage of .563, plus six doubles, six home runs, 23 RBIs and scored 26 runs.
“In high school, he was incredible for us,” said Pennsbury head coach Joe Pesci. “(A year ago), he decided to go from a mid- to low ACC team to the best team in the ACC. Surrounding himself with amazing players at Georgia Tech, he’s kind of elevated his game.”
Since the conclusion of the collegiate season, Zuckerman has been working out in preparation for the MLB Draft Combine and, ultimately, the draft. He’s been splitting his time between Yardley and Atlanta.
MLB teams have indicated Zuckerman’s power bat and defense are two of his strengths, while he’s focusing on improving his swing selection and making more contact at the plate.
Zuckerman is looking forward to hearing his name called by one of the 30 major league clubs. Whether a team views him as a third baseman, first baseman, corner outfielder or even second baseman doesn’t really matter to him.
“I think right now I’m in a great position to go and play professional baseball and start my journey up to the big leagues,” Zuckerman said. “The goal is not to get drafted – it’s to play MLB.”
Tom Moore: tmoore@couriertimes.com; @TomMoorePhilly is a sports columnist for PhillyBurbs.com. Support our journalism with a subscription.
Georgia
Georgia pair charged with murder after bartender’s dismembered remains found in lake outside Atlanta
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A Georgia pair have been charged with murder after allegedly slaughtering a bartender and dumping his dismembered remains in a lake, according to authorities.
Mario Andre Barber, 46, and Brittany Amber Baker, 42, were arrested on Monday for allegedly murdering Jamal Rashad Parker, 37, in a home outside of Atlanta, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.
Investigators discovered Parker’s remains in May in the Dog River Reservoir, located about 30 miles outside Atlanta.
Parker’s identity was confirmed using DNA comparison technology after his father contacted authorities to report that the victim’s tattoos matched his son’s ink, local station WSB-TV reported.
MINNESOTA MAN ACCUSED OF DISMEMBERING GIRLFRIENDS, HIDING BODIES IN STORAGE UNITS ENTERS PLEA
Mario Andre Barber, 46, and Brittany Amber Baker, 42, are charged with murder. (Douglas County Sheriff’s Office)
Investigators believe the two suspects killed Parker inside a home in Douglasville where Baker lived.
Late last month, investigators were observed leaving the home with a reciprocating saw and cleaning supplies, according to WSB-TV.
Police have not disclosed if Parker knew his alleged killers. However, a GoFundMe created by a family member described the pair as “people he knew and trusted.”
SUZANNE SIMPSON’S DNA FOUND ON MURDER SUSPECT HUSBAND’S SAW THAT CAN CUT METAL
A family member described Jamal Rashad Parker as a bartender, musician and artist with “a beautiful soul and spirit.” (GoFundMe)
The suspects pleaded not guilty in court on Tuesday and are being held without bond. Both have lengthy criminal records, according to reports.
“I want them to be punished. And I don’t even think a life sentence is good enough,” Parker’s dad, Charles Parker, told WSB-TV outside the courthouse.
“It’s the kind of stuff you see on TV, but I mean … they had no remorse,” he added.
In addition to bartending at Ms. Icey’s Kitchen & Bar in Atlanta, the victim was a musician and artist with “a beautiful soul and spirit,” according to the GoFundMe page created to cover burial costs.
Investigators believe the two suspects killed the victim inside a home in Douglasville. (Douglas County Sheriff’s Office)
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“He loved life and the people he met along his journey in life. He was a musical artist, visual artist, and a professional bartender who enjoyed creating new drinks. This has totally devastated our family and friends and has left us heartbroken,” the fundraiser reads.
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