RAPPER Young Thug’s lawyer has been held in contempt and given jail time after learning information that was allegedly spoken about in a private meeting.
The rapper, 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 Jeffery Lamar Williams, has been on trial for racketeering since November 2023.
Prosecutors claim Williams, aka Young Thug, is the leader of a criminal street gang named Young Slime Life which is involved in robberies, drug sales, revenge shootings, and homicides.
On Monday, his lawyer, Brian Steel, was escorted out of the courtroom after refusing to reveal to Judge Ural Glanville how he learned certain information.
What Steel knew came from an allegedly private conversation between Glanville, prosecutors, and the state’s main witness.
“You got some information you shouldn’t have gotten,” Judge Ural Glanville told Steel on Monday, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The judge then asked police in the courtroom to take him into custody.
Steel leisurely took off his jacket and tie before asking to speak to the court.
“You are removing me against his will, my will, and you’re taking away his right to counsel,” Steel said, also asking for a mistrial which the judge denied.
After hearing arguments from Steel’s attorneys, Glanville sentenced Steel to 20 days in the Fulton County Jail, The Washington Post reports.
He ordered the sentence be served on weekends beginning this Friday.
Glanville also said he would consider Steel’s request to let him serve that time at the Cobb County Jail, where Young Thug is being held, and not at the Fulton County Jail.
‘DISTURBING’
Video captured by Law and Crime and posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, showed the heated argument between Steel and Glanville unfold earlier on Monday.
“I will not answer that question,” Steel told the judge after being asked how he knew about the morning meeting.
The judge and Steel continued to go back and forth.
“I’m asking you how you got this information,” Glanville said.
“I’m not telling the court,” Steel remarked.
Glanville then interrupted the lawyer, saying, “Well listen, if you don’t tell me how you got this information, then you and I are going to have some problems.”
The judge said it was “disturbing” how Steel knew information that was discussed in a private meeting and said the record of the conversation would be available if the case was reviewed.
Steel said he hoped the information he had “concerned” the court.
Glanville responded, “It concerns me that you have proprietary information.”
If that’s true what this is is coercion, witness intimidation, ex parte communications that we have a constitutional right to be present for.
Brian Steel
The information was regarding witness Kenneth Copeland, who spent the weekend in jail after refusing to testify on Friday.
On Monday, Copeland decided to testify, wearing a blue, jail-issued jumpsuit on the stand.
During the court’s lunch break, Steel learned about the morning meeting concerning Copeland and how he didn’t want to testify.
“How about the witness, how about Mr. Copeland, who supposedly announced that he’s not testifying and he’ll sit for two years and, supposedly this honorable court, or let me rephrase that, this court, said I can hold you until the end of this trial,” Steel asked the judge.
Steel said he also heard that prosecutor Simone Hylton reminded Copeland he could actually be held until all 26 defendants have their cases disposed of, no matter how long it takes.
“If that’s true what this is is coercion, witness intimidation, ex parte communications that we have a constitutional right to be present for,” Steel told Glanville.
The judge didn’t respond to Steel but instead continued to ask him how he learned of the information and who told him.
Steel continued to refuse saying the information was “attorney-client privilege.”
Glanville gave the lawyer five minutes to reveal his source before he was going to hold him in contempt.
‘A VIOLATION’
Once Steel was escorted out, the rapper’s second lawyer, Keith Adams, said he didn’t want to continue without his co-counsel.
Glanville told him that he “does not have that luxury” and said he had to remain in the courtroom and defend Williams.
“You don’t get to extort the court,” Glanville said.
“It doesn’t work that way.”
He went on to call the leaked information about the meeting “such a violation of the sacrosanct-ness of the judge’s chambers.”
Glanville said there was “nothing that was improper” about the conversation.
Well listen, if you don’t tell me how you got this information, then you and I are going to have some problems.
Judge Ural Glanville
“The court’s more concerned about the disclosure,” he told the attorneys.
After multiple breaks, the judge let Steel come back into the courtroom, allowing him to be present while the court was in session.
He also gave the lawyer until the end of the day to reveal his source.
“I’m still gonna hold you in contempt,” Glanville told Steel.
“You can purge that contempt by just telling me who it is that told you this information. That’s all I need to know.”
‘VIBING’
Williams and Steel also went viral back in May during the trial after enjoying one of the rapper’s songs that was being played for the court.
In a video posted to X, the pair were seen smirking while a verse from the rapper’s popular song Halftime played.
Williams looked to Steel while he tracked the beats with his finger.
“Young Thug and his lawyer vibing to his hit song Halftime in court omg,” read the tweet.
The social media post has over 7,700 retweets, 32,000 likes, and 2.7 million views.
