Judge presiding over Young Thug trial ordered off the case
Young Thug (left), whose real name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, and his lawyer Brian Steel at the Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta. (Miguel Martinez/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
ATLANTA—The judge overseeing the criminal racketeering case against Young Thug was formally removed from the case Monday amid complaints he and prosecutors held an improper meeting with a key prosecution witness.
Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Ural Glanville. Photo from the Fulton County Superior Court website.In a written order, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Rachel Krause, who had been assigned to hear recusal motions from the Atlanta rapper and another co-defendant, said she agreed “generally” with Judge Ural Glanville, who has defended his role in the meeting as “proper.” But she ordered that Glanville should still be recused, citing public trust.
“This Court has no doubt that Judge Glanville can and would continue presiding fairly over this matter if the recusal motions were denied, but the ‘necessity of preserving the public’s confidence in the judicial system’ weighs in favor of excusing Judge Glanville from further handling of this case,” Krause wrote.
The ruling comes two weeks after Glanville abruptly halted the case amid complaints of misconduct. The order paves the way for a new judge to be assigned to the case—though it was not immediately clear when that would happen or when testimony in the case would resume.
Already, the case had been the longest-running criminal trial in Georgia history. Even before the latest turmoil, critics questioned Glanville’s handling of the case, including his decision to allow jury selection to drag on for 10 months, as well as weeks-long breaks in testimony and other delays.
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