ATLANTA — The judge overseeing the racketeering and gang prosecution against Young Thug and others on Monday put the long-running trial on hold until another judge rules on requests by several defendants that he step aside from the case. Lawyers for the rapper and several other defendants had filed motions seeking the recusal of Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Ural Glanville after he held a meeting with prosecutors and a prosecution witness at which defendants and defence attorneys were not present. They said the meeting was “improper” and said the judge and prosecutors tried to pressure the witness, who had been granted immunity, into giving testimony.
Jurors, who were already on a break until July 8, would be notified that they will not be needed until the matter is resolved, Glanville said. This is the latest delay in the trial that has dragged on for over a year, in part because of numerous problems. Jury selection in the case began in January 2023 and took nearly 10 months.
Opening statements were in November and the prosecution has been presenting its case since then, calling dozens of witnesses. Young Thug, a Grammy winner whose given name is Jeffery Williams, was charged two years ago in a sprawling indictment accusing him and more than two dozen other people of conspiring to violate Georgia’s anti-racketeering law. He also is charged with gang, drug and gun crimes and is standing trial with five of the others indicted with him.
Glanville last month h.