August 14, 2024
New judge kicks off the return of Young Thug’s controversial racketeering trial with testimony from a star witness.
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After a two-month hiatus, rapper Young Thug’s controversial racketeering and gun conspiracy trial returned on Monday, Aug. 12.
Superior Court Judge Paige Whitaker welcomed Fulton County jurors back in what has become Georgia’s longest-running criminal trial since it began in January 2023. The trial resumed with a star witness and another mistrial request following multiple delays and unexpected turns that have threatened to dismiss the case entirely.
NBC News reports that Whitaker subtly addressed her addition to the trial following Judge Ural Glanville’s removal last month.
“You are not to concern yourself with this change,” Whitaker told the jury. “The decisions and remarks of a judge do not mean the judge favors or leans to one side or another in this case.”
Other oddities from the trial’s return included testimony from one of the star witnesses, Kenneth Copeland, who often told prosecutors, “I don’t recall,” when asked questions. At one point, Copeland complained about Young Thug (real name Jeffery Lamar Williams) rapping about him in songs, claiming the timing of the song made investigators go after him. However, when asked when Thug rapped about him, Copeland said, “I don’t recall.”
Copeland’s testimony comes two months after Thug’s lawyer, Brian Steel, filed a recusal motion for Glanville after he and prosecutors were accused of having an “improper” private meeting with Copeland that excluded the defense. Meetings held without all parties present may be viewed negatively, as they could create opportunities for witness tampering.
The accusation led Glanville to hold Steel in contempt of court after he refused to disclose who informed him about the meeting. Glanville sentenced Steel to spend weekends in jail while the lawyer appealed the contempt ruling.
Young Thug has been in jail since May 2022 on charges of conspiracy, criminal street gang activity, along with firearm and drug-related offenses. Fulton County prosecutors are using Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations, or RICO, statute against the Grammy Award-winning rapper and five other co-defendants.
Since taking over the trial, Whitaker has reviewed several motions, including those by defense attorneys urging for a mistrial. Prosecutors have noted the 105 additional witnesses to present and the 75 who have already testified.
