The Georgia State Supreme Court overturned the controversial decision to hold Young Thug’s lawyer, Brian Steel, in criminal contempt for his behavior during an exchange about an alleged secret meeting that threw the YSL gang trial into chaos this summer.
Back in June, Steel was held in contempt and sentenced to 20 days in jail following an argument with Judge Ural Glanville, who was eventually recused from the trial. The fracas erupted when Steel told the court that he’d learned about an alleged private ex parte meeting between a key state witness, prosecutors, and the judge. Steel, at one point, even appeared to allege that the witness may have been coerced or intimidated ahead of his testimony.
When Glanville asked Steel to reveal his source of this information, Steel refused, asking instead why he hadn’t been included in the conversations. An argument ensued, and eventually Glanville held Steel in contempt and told the courtroom deputies to take him into custody.
Steel appealed the ruling, arguing that raising the issue of the meeting did not interfere with the court’s ability to administer justice, and because his source was protected by attorney-client privilege. He also argued that because Glanville was directly involved in the dispute, he shouldn’t have been part of any contempt proceeding.
In its ruling, issued Tuesday, Oct. 22, the judges on the State Supreme Court overturned the contempt order mainly for that last reason, writing, “to afford Steel due process, Judge Glanville was required to recuse himself.”
They added: “Steel’s repeated refusal to comply with Judge Glanville’s direct order was conduct directed toward the judge. Steel continued to challenge the propriety of the ex parte meeting and asserted that he could not legally comply with Judge Glanville’s order to disclose his source. The exchange between Steel and Judge Glanville makes clear that Judge Glanville was involved in the controversy. For these reasons, a different judge should have presided over the contempt hearing, and the failure to do so requires reversal.”
The dispute over the meeting upended the already long and troubled YSL trial, which was delayed for nearly two months and eventually resumed with a new judge. While calls for mistrials have repeatedly been avoided, at a hearing last month, the new judge grew frustrated with prosecutors, accusing them of “purposefully” misleading the court. As things stand, it’s expected the trial will continue to stretch into 2025.