Young Thug’s Lawyer Ordered To Spend 10 Weekends In Jail For Contempt After Claiming Judge Held Illegal Secret Meeting
Young Thug – Source: SUZANNE CORDEIRO / Getty
Young Thug’s lawyer Brian Steel will be serving jail time after being held in contempt of court.
The YSL RICO trial has been a train wreck waiting to happen from the very start, but this week the wheels finally came off. Young Thug’s lawyer Brian Steel has been fighting vigorously for a victory in the case and hasn’t let anything slide from the prosecution without question. Unfortunately for him, his latest line of questioning comes with some serious consequences.
According to The Washington Post, Steel accused Judge Ural Glanville, prosecutors, and star witness Kenneth Copeland of having a secret meeting. That did not go over well for him and it led to an explosive moment in court.
“If that’s true, what this is is coercion, witness intimidation, ex parte communications that we have a constitutional right to be present for,” Steele told Glanville.
“How did you come upon this information? Who told you?” Glanville demanded.
Steel refused to snitch and reveal who told him the alleged information, so Judge Glanville held him in criminal contempt and ordered him to be jailed.
Glanville doesn’t understand the difference between criminal and civil contempt.
Ashleigh Merchant has to come in and school Glanville on the basics of criminal versus civil contempt.
Glanville seems to maybe understand he’s messed up and leaves the bench to return “in five.”
— Anthony Michael Kreis (@AnthonyMKreis) June 10, 2024
Later, Steel was allowed to return and was warned again that he would be jailed if he didn’t reveal his source.
“You will go into custody at five o’clock today or whenever we finish if you don’t tell me,” Judge Glanville warned.
I bet you Judge Glanville comes back and says, “civil contempt,” so he doesn’t become a witness and essentially punish Brian Steel under the cover of his inherent authority to coerce.
— Anthony Michael Kreis (@AnthonyMKreis) June 10, 2024
Eventually, Glanville kept good on his promise and sentenced Steel to 20 weekend days in Fulton County jail, but requested to be jailed in Cobb County alongside Young Thug which Judge Glanville said he would consider.
Steel’s wife Collette Steel has filed an appeal to the order of contempt and she will also represent him in the matter.
NEW: Brian Steel’s wife, Collette Steel, has filed a Notice of Appeal regarding Judge Glanville’s order of contempt.
She will be representing him for the appeal. https://t.co/DrjTn69KgC pic.twitter.com/gvPNyzSiqA
— THUGGERDAILY ひ (@ThuggerDaily) June 10, 2024
Steel’s arrest has enraged the Atlanta legal community and lawyers across the nation. Some have even questioned why an immediate mistrial didn’t occur, making this alleged secret meeting a bigger conversation on social media beyond the usual chatter.
You can see responses from lawyers across the U.S. and the support for Steel in the courtroom below.
Here’s another photo sent to me by lawyers in courtroom. pic.twitter.com/Ml585DbavY
— Michael Seiden (@SeidenWSBTV) June 10, 2024
This case and judge is off the reservation. This is an instant mistrial. I cannot believe the Judge thinks taking a defense atty into custody isn’t a mistrial. BRIAN STEELE is a real one. Defense lawyers across the country should be terrified by the lack of judicial knowledge https://t.co/qtVykTyNj4
— Bradford Cohen (@bradfordcohen) June 10, 2024
I know Brian Steele well from when I was a prosecutor. He is about deferential and ethical lawyer as you’ll ever meet. For him to go into custody for contempt means that trial is off the rails.
— Chris Timmons (@ChrisWTimmons) June 10, 2024
I mean, how does that not instantly end whatever case this is?
— Raffi Melkonian (@RMFifthCircuit) June 10, 2024
The thing about Brian Steel is he is less adversarial with judges than a lot of attorneys, myself included. He’s got enormous respect for judges- so him correcting himself in calling the court honorable really hits. He meant it. The judge knows it.
— croptopsandcourtrooms (@emiline129) June 11, 2024
A judge cannot use summary procedures to hold a lawyer in criminal contempt where the judge is a witness that would need to be cross examined. Plus, in criminal contempt cases the standard of proof is beyond a reasonable doubt. Again, I’d be shocked if upheld on appeal. https://t.co/Vf6SaxLde1
— Lester Tate (@LesterTate) June 11, 2024
I am not aware of any rule that permits a judge to meet ex parte with a witness.
See e.g. Arnau v. Arnau, 207 Ga. App. 696, 697 (Ga. Ct. App. 1993) (judge who met with expert presumptively prejudiced losing party even if testimony was cumulative). pic.twitter.com/56obmEABaz
— Andrew Fleischman (@ASFleischman) June 10, 2024
The Georgia Code of Judicial Conduct allows ex parte communications in emergencies that do not deal with substantive matters or issues on the merits BUT the judge must promptly notify all other parties of the substance of the communication and give them an opportunity to respond. pic.twitter.com/AZVFSwOZ2g
— Doug Gladden (@DougtheLawyer) June 10, 2024
I’ve represent Joe Exotic, Naked Cowboy and Omarosa and this trial is still one of the craziest I’ve seen. That judge is wrong. But he knows he has time on his side. Kudos to Brian Steel for standing for his client. #hotmess
— John M. Phillips (@JohnPhillips) June 10, 2024
Lawyer: I heard you had a secret meeting with the state
Judge: I heard you’re going to jail
— Matt Margolis (@ItsMattsLaw) June 11, 2024
Actual sentence just uttered by a sitting Judge: “it’s disturbing that somehow you have surreptitiously gotten information concerning this Courts ex parte communication with a party.” Read that again.
— GSU (@GsuGrinding) June 10, 2024
I watched the entire hearing in the Young Thug trial that lead to his attorney Brian Steele being held in contempt. The judge was completely wrong and out of line. There’s no other way to put it. The judge had an ex parte conversation with a witness who refused to testify. 1/
— Natalie Whittingham Burrell 🐥 (@natlawyerchic) June 11, 2024
I expect a motion to recuse Judge Glanville in the very near future.
I do not see any way he can continue as the judge in this case
A motion to recuse in Georgia MUST be heard by a different judge
I don’t see how the #YoungThug #YSLTrial is not irreparably tainted https://t.co/fTGMc52h7p
— Phil Holloway ✈️ (@PhilHollowayEsq) June 10, 2024
