Young Thug‘s lawyer Brian Steel has been arrested mid-trial for alleged contempt of court.
The attorney was held in contempt of court on Monday (June 10) for refusing to reveal his source for an alleged conversation involving Judge Ural Glanville.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Rolling Stone), Steel was sentenced to 20 days in the Fulton County Jail, with the attorney ordered to serve his sentence on weekends. Though Glanville commanded Steel to start on Friday (June 14), Fox 5 reports that he was successfully granted an emergency bond by the Georgia Supreme Court and will stay out of court. Steel also applied for an appeal, which is still pending.
Steel was reportedly held in contempt due to an alleged conversation between Glanville, witness Kenneth Copeland and prosecutors.
Copeland was supposed to testify that Young Thug (real name Jeffrey Williams) had purportedly rented a car with the intent to murder Donovan ‘Peanut’ Thomas, claimed to be a member of a rival gang. However, Copeland himself was held in contempt last Friday (June 7) for suddenly refusing to testify, despite being granted immunity.
Steel reportedly came to know of a meeting that had allegedly taken place that Monday morning; he went on to suggest that Copeland may have been intimidated or coerced ahead of taking the stand on Monday.
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When asked to reveal who Steel heard the conversation from, Steel refused to tell Glanville, arguing that he should have been involved in the conversation. Glanville reportedly did not deny that a meeting had taken place, and apparently said there was “nothing that was improper” about the conversation that took place. Rather, he was alleged to be unhappy that the conversation had been leaked, as he apparently considered it a “violation of the sacrosanctness of the court’s chambers and an ex parte conversation.”
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the conversation became increasingly hostile, until Glanville held Steel in contempt and ordered him to be taken into custody. Steel then allegedly called for a mistrial, saying: “You are removing me against his will, my will, and you’re taking away [Williams’] right to counsel.”
Glanville eventually allowed Steel back into court, on the condition that he revealed his source by 5pm, or else his contempt charge would still stand. Steel did not reveal the source.
In other news, lawyers have used Snoop Dogg’s Super Bowl performance to prove Young Thug isn’t in a gang.