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.
Georgia leaders from both political parties are paying tribute to longtime U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham following the South Carolina Republican’s death at age 71, remembering him as a dedicated public servant whose influence stretched far beyond his home state.
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff said he joined others across the country in mourning Graham’s passing.
“I join in mourning Senator Lindsey Graham and extend my deepest condolences to the Senator’s family, friends, and staff,” Ossoff said.
Ossoff praised Graham’s military service and lengthy congressional career.
“Senator Graham dedicated his life to the United States, from his service in the U.S. Air Force to his representation of the State of South Carolina in the U.S. House and Senate. Lindsey was an energetic leader who loved South Carolina. May Lindsey’s memory be a blessing.”
Sen. Raphael Warnock also shared condolences, calling Graham a man of faith who served his state with determination.
“I am deeply saddened by the passing of my colleague, Senator Lindsey Graham,” Warnock wrote on X. “He was a man of great faith who served the people of South Carolina with passion and tenacity. I am praying for his family and his loved ones as they mourn this tremendous loss.”
Gov. Brian Kemp described Graham as a patriot and a friend whose impact reached across Washington.
“Senator Lindsey Graham was a patriot, an impactful public servant, and a friend,” Kemp said. “His love of this nation, unyielding belief in its possibilities, and defense of its values made him a true force to be reckoned with in Washington.”
Kemp added that he, First Lady Marty Kemp and their family were praying for Graham’s loved ones and for South Carolina during what he called a difficult time.
Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, who is challenging Ossoff in November’s U.S. Senate election, also reflected on Graham’s legacy.
“Leigh Ann and I are praying for Senator Graham’s loved ones during this time of immeasurable grief and reflecting upon his many years of public service,” Collins said.
Collins added that while he did not know Graham well personally, he admired the senator’s defense of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his 2018 confirmation hearings, calling it “a commitment to our nation and the truth that should be admired.”
Graham served South Carolina in the U.S. Senate for more than two decades after previously representing the state in the U.S. House. Throughout his career, he became one of Senate Republican’s leading voices on national security, foreign policy and immigration, while emerging as one of the Republican Party’s most influential lawmakers.
His death has prompted an outpouring of tributes from leaders across the country.
Numerous to widespread thunderstorms capable of producing damaging wind gusts, large hail, frequent lightning, localized flash flooding, and dangerous heat are expected across much of north and central Georgia today and tonight, according to the National Weather Service. A Heat Advisory is also in effect for portions of east central Georgia from noon until 8 p.m., with heat index values up to 106 degrees expected.
The National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather outlook for north and central Georgia for Sunday, July 12, 2026.
Bonus for the more weather-curious among you … To read an article about interpreting a weather news report with some of the typical terminology defined, follow this link.
What is in the Hazardous Weather Outlook?
The hazardous weather outlook states the following:
558 AM EDT Sun Jul 12 2026
This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north and central Georgia.
.DAY ONE…Today and Tonight…
A few thunderstorms will remain possible through the morning,
capable of producing lightning and brief heavy rainfall.Numerous to widespread thunderstorms are likely this afternoon and
evening. Some storms may become strong to severe and capable of
producing gusty to damaging winds, frequent lightning, large hail,
and localized flash flooding concerns.A Heat Advisory is in effect for portions of east central Georgia
from noon to 8PM. Heat index values up to 106 are expected..DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…Monday through Saturday…
Numerous to widespread thunderstorms are likely on Monday and
Tuesday. Some storms may become strong to severe and capable of
producing gusty to damaging winds, frequent lightning, and
locally heavy rainfall.Scattered afternoon thunderstorms are likely each day through
Saturday.
Counties included in the alert
- Baldwin
- Banks
- Barrow
- Bartow
- Bibb
- Bleckley
- Butts
- Carroll
- Catoosa
- Chattahoochee
- Chattooga
- Cherokee
- Clarke
- Clayton
- Cobb
- Coweta
- Crawford
- Crisp
- Dade
- Dawson
- DeKalb
- Dodge
- Dooly
- Douglas
- Emanuel
- Fannin
- Fayette
- Floyd
- Forsyth
- Gilmer
- Glascock
- Gordon
- Greene
- Gwinnett
- Hall
- Hancock
- Haralson
- Harris
- Heard
- Henry
- Houston
- Jackson
- Jasper
- Jefferson
- Johnson
- Jones
- Lamar
- Laurens
- Lumpkin
- Macon
- Madison
- Marion
- Meriwether
- Monroe
- Montgomery
- Morgan
- Murray
- Muscogee
- Newton
- North Fulton
- Oconee
- Oglethorpe
- Paulding
- Peach
- Pickens
- Pike
- Polk
- Pulaski
- Putnam
- Rockdale
- Schley
- South Fulton
- Spalding
- Stewart
- Sumter
- Talbot
- Taliaferro
- Taylor
- Telfair
- Toombs
- Towns
- Treutlen
- Troup
- Twiggs
- Union
- Upson
- Walker
- Walton
- Warren
- Washington
- Webster
- Wheeler
- White
- Whitfield
- Wilcox
- Wilkes
- Wilkinson
What is meant by “isolated” and “scattered”?
The NWS defines “isolated” as follows:
A National Weather Service convective precipitation descriptor for a 10 percent chance of measurable precipitation (0.01 inch). Isolated is used interchangeably with few.
“Scattered” has the following definition:
When used to describe precipitation (for example: “scattered showers”) – Area coverage of convective weather affecting 30 percent to 50 percent of a forecast zone(s).
Isolated thunderstorms and scattered thunderstorms are two terms used to describe different distributions of thunderstorm activity within a particular area. The main difference lies in the extent of coverage and how the thunderstorms are spatially distributed:
- Isolated Thunderstorms:
- Isolated thunderstorms are relatively rare occurrences that happen sporadically and are generally confined to a limited area.
- These thunderstorms are often characterized by being few and far between, with significant gaps between individual storm cells.
- Typically, isolated thunderstorms cover less than 20% of the forecast area.
- Despite their isolated nature, these storms can still be intense and may produce heavy rain, lightning, gusty winds, and possibly hail.
- Scattered Thunderstorms:
- Scattered thunderstorms are more widespread than isolated thunderstorms and cover a larger portion of the forecast area.
- In a scattered thunderstorm scenario, numerous individual thunderstorms develop, but they are not continuous or widespread enough to be classified as a “line” or “cluster” of storms.
- Scattered thunderstorms generally cover between 30% to 50% of the forecast area.
- Although scattered thunderstorms are more widespread, they still leave considerable gaps between storm cells, and not everyone within the forecast area will necessarily experience a thunderstorm.
In summary, isolated thunderstorms are fewer in number and more localized, covering a smaller area with significant gaps between storms, while scattered thunderstorms are more widespread, covering a larger area with numerous individual storms occurring somewhat randomly across the forecast area.
About the National Weather Service
The National Weather Service (NWS) is a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The NWS describes its role as follows:
The National Weather Service (NWS) provides weather, water, and climate forecasts and warnings for the United States, its territories, adjacent waters and ocean areas, for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national economy.
These services include Forecasts and Observations, Warnings, Impact-based Decision Support Services, and Education in an effort to build a Weather-Ready Nation. The ultimate goal is to have a society that is prepared for and responds to weather, water and climate events.
HOOVER, AL – MAY 21: A general view of a Georgia Bulldogs baseball glove during the 2024 SEC Baseball Tournament game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the LSU Tigers on May 21, 2024 at the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama. (Photo by Mic
ATHENS, Ga. – Three University of Georgia baseball stars were selected on the first day of the MLB Draft on Saturday, capping off a historic season for the baseball program.
Major League Baseball selections
What we know:
Bulldog catcher Daniel Jackson, pitcher Joey Volchko and outfielder Rylan Lujo were all chosen during the first four rounds of the draft in Philadelphia.
Jackson was selected 37th overall in the first round by the Colorado Rockies.
The Chicago White Sox drafted Volchko in the third round with the 77th pick, and the Los Angeles Angels took Lujo in the fourth round with the 109th pick.
Jackson, a Sandy Springs native, swept every major award this past season, including the Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy. He hit .379 with 32 home runs and 87 RBI.
Volchko served as the team’s pitching ace, going 11-2 with 119 strikeouts, while Lujo started 52 games in centerfield and hit .358.
The draft choices follow a school-record 53-win season where Georgia captured the SEC regular season and tournament titles before finishing third at the College World Series.
Draft rounds and rules
The draft featured four rounds and 135 total picks on Saturday. Major league teams have until 5 p.m. July 27 to sign players drafted out of high schools and four-year colleges. Georgia has now had at least one player selected in the draft every year since 1987.
What we don’t know:
Officials have not yet confirmed the financial details of the minor league contracts or signing bonuses for the three drafted players. It is also unknown if any additional Georgia players will be selected during the later rounds of the draft.
What’s next:
The draft will conclude Sunday with rounds 5 through 20.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the University of Georgia Sports Communications, which released the official draft results and player statistics.
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