On Tuesday, March 26, 2024, Rollingout reported that attorney Brian Steel, representing rapper Young Thug in an ongoing racketeering case, had once again moved for a mistrial. This time, Steel alleged that Judge Ural Glanville of the Fulton County Superior Court was biased against his client.
Steel stated that he felt obligated to question the judge’s impartiality, saying “I believe this honorable court is biased against Mr. Williams and/or his counsel.”. However, Judge Glanville swiftly denied the motion for a mistrial. This marked the second mistrial motion made by Steel during the lengthy trial, which has become the longest criminal proceeding in Georgia’s history.
In his mistrial request, Steel said that Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, was not receiving a fair trial due to comments the judge had made directly to the jury regarding Steel’s preparedness. Steel claimed Judge Glanville told jurors that he was unprepared, even though Steel maintains that he was fully prepared. Though Glanville pointed out that he had also admonished prosecutors at times, Steel argued the judge had never reprimanded the prosecution in front of jurors.
Steel’s heated exchanges with Judge Glanville even led him to openly tell the judge he was “wrong” on one occasion. While Glanville acknowledged having shown restraint in the face of Steel’s at-times borderline behavior, he denied being biased or unfair. The judge likened his role to that of a referee, noting both sides may disagree with his calls but insisting he aimed to provide all sides a fair trial.
Nevertheless, Steel voiced concern that the judge’s public criticism of his preparedness could bias the jury against his client Williams, who continues to face lengthy felony charges related to his involvement in the alleged street gang YSL.
Source: Rollingout
