Brian Steel, the defense attorney representing rapper Young Thug in his ongoing RICO trial, has been found in contempt of court.
Mr. Steel’s contempt arose from his refusal to disclose how he learned about a private meeting between Judge Glanville, prosecutors, and a prosecution witness.
Judge Glanville expressed grave concerns about the improper disclosure of this information to Mr. Steel. The judge repeatedly asked Mr. Steel to disclose how he obtained the details of the meeting, warning him of contempt charges if he refused.
Mr. Steel did not comply, leading to the contempt ruling.
Judge Glanville sentenced Mr. Steel to 20 days in the Fulton County Jail, to be served over the next 10 weekends, starting this Friday. Mr. Steel is required to report at 7 p.m. on Fridays and will be released at 7 p.m. on Sundays, with this schedule continuing until Aug. 18.
In court, Mr. Steel requested to serve his sentence in Cobb County Jail, where his client, Young Thug, is detained, to facilitate their work on the rapper’s defense.
Judge Glanville agreed to discuss this with the sheriff.
On Monday, Mr. Steel filed an appeal against the contempt order with the Georgia Court of Appeals. He also submitted a motion asking Judge Glanville to reconsider and revoke the contempt order or grant him bond during the appeal process.
Mr. Steel’s motion highlighted that the meeting involved a witness who had been granted immunity. Mr. Steel was held in contempt after invoking his Fifth Amendment rights. The lawyer asserted that the information he disclosed was not classified as confidential by any court order and argued that the contempt ruling imposed an illegal and contradictory punishment.
Mr. Steel said in court that he had heard a prosecutor threaten Mr. Copeland with extended jail time until all defendants’ cases were resolved. Mr. Steel called it coercion and witness intimidation, and insisted such communications should be held with the defense present, as mandated by constitutional rights.
Judge Glanville repeatedly asked Mr. Steel about the source of his information, to which Mr. Steel responded by questioning why he was excluded from the meeting. When another defense attorney requested a transcript of the meeting, Judge Glanville maintained that the conversation was proper and emphasized his concern about the information leak.
Young Thug, born Jeffrey Lamar Williams, known for his career as a rapper and CEO of his label, Young Stoner Life (YSL), faces allegations from prosecutors that YSL also operates as Young Slime Life, a violent street gang. The indictment charges those associated with YSL with various violent crimes to further the gang’s influence and reputation.
The Epoch Times contacted Mr. Steel for a statement, but comment was not returned at the time of publication.
