(StraightNews.org) – A Georgia judge has jailed a defense attorney for contempt of court, ordering him to spend ten weekends in prison. The lawyer was defending rapper Young Thug on racketeering and gang charges and was found in contempt for refusing to tell Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Ural Glanville how he became aware of a meeting between the judge, prosecuting attorneys, and witnesses.
In open court, defense attorney Brian Steel addressed Judge Glanville, telling him he knew of a discussion with prosecutors and a witness that morning but repeatedly refused to explain how he had come by the information. Glanville said he had “serious concern with how this information was improperly disclosed” and warned Steel he would jail him, but the lawyer refused to name his source. He will now spend 20 days in Fulton County jail – reporting there every Friday evening for 10 weeks.
Mr. Steel later filed an appeal against the sentence and asked if he could spend his term in Cobb County, where his client is held, so that they could work on his defense in the prison. The judge said he could not make that promise but would speak to the Sheriff to see if it could be arranged.
Appeal documents state that the judge spoke to a witness who had been granted immunity and was also held in contempt after asserting Fifth Amendment rights. Steel intended to argue for a mistrial based on the meeting. The attorney said the meeting was not protected by confidentiality and that the judge had acted unlawfully.
Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, was indicted in 2022 with several associates. Prosecutors say he is a member of a gang known as Young Slime Life, which has committed a string of offenses, including murder and carjacking, over the past decade. The trial has been delayed several times and got underway last November. It is expected to run until 2025.
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