Young Thug’s Defense Attorney Ordered Jail Sentencing

A Georgia judge has ordered the attorney for rapper Young Thug to spend the next 10 weekends in jail after being found in contempt.

Brian Steel, the defense attorney representing the rapper in a trial in Atlanta, was ordered jailed by Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Ural Glanville after refusing to disclose how he learned about a meeting between the judge, prosecutors, and a prosecution witness.

This development is the latest in a trial that has faced numerous challenges and has been ongoing for over a year without a clear resolution in sight.

Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, is facing charges related to violation of Georgia’s anti-racketeering and gang laws, as well as other gang, drug, and gun crimes. He is currently on trial with five other defendants after being indicted two years ago.

Jury selection for the case began in January 2023 and lasted nearly 10 months. The trial began in November with the prosecution presenting its case and calling numerous witnesses.

Despite being warned several times by Judge Glanville to provide information about the meeting, Steel repeatedly refused leading to the contempt order. Glanville sentenced Steel to serve 20 days in the Fulton County Jail over the following 10 weekends.

Steel has filed an appeal of the contempt order to the Georgia Court of Appeals and has also requested the judge to reconsider or rescind the order while his appeal is pending.

Meanwhile, the prosecution witness involved in the meeting, Kenneth Copeland, was jailed briefly after refusing to testify but was released upon agreeing to continue testifying.

Young Thug’s success in the music industry and his record label, Young Stoner Life (YSL), have been well-documented. However, prosecutors allege that YSL is also associated with a violent street gang and have detailed violent crimes linked to the gang in the indictment.