Young Thug – Source: SUZANNE CORDEIRO / Getty
Young Thug’s lawyer Brian Steel will be serving jail time after being held in contempt of court.
The YSL RICO trial has been a train wreck waiting to happen from the very start, but this week the wheels finally came off. Young Thug’s lawyer Brian Steel has been fighting vigorously for a victory in the case and hasn’t let anything slide from the prosecution without question. Unfortunately for him, his latest line of questioning comes with some serious consequences.
According to The Washington Post, Steel accused Judge Ural Glanville, prosecutors, and star witness Kenneth Copeland of having a secret meeting. That did not go over well for him and it led to an explosive moment in court.
“If that’s true, what this is is coercion, witness intimidation, ex parte communications that we have a constitutional right to be present for,” Steele told Glanville.
“How did you come upon this information? Who told you?” Glanville demanded.
Steel refused to snitch and reveal who told him the alleged information, so Judge Glanville held him in criminal contempt and ordered him to be jailed.
Later, Steel was allowed to return and was warned again that he would be jailed if he didn’t reveal his source.
“You will go into custody at five o’clock today or whenever we finish if you don’t tell me,” Judge Glanville warned.
Eventually, Glanville kept good on his promise and sentenced Steel to 20 weekend days in Fulton County jail, but requested to be jailed in Cobb County alongside Young Thug which Judge Glanville said he would consider.
Steel’s wife Collette Steel has filed an appeal to the order of contempt and she will also represent him in the matter.
Steel’s arrest has enraged the Atlanta legal community and lawyers across the nation. Some have even questioned why an immediate mistrial didn’t occur, making this alleged secret meeting a bigger conversation on social media beyond the usual chatter.
You can see responses from lawyers across the U.S. and the support for Steel in the courtroom below.