Young Thug's Lawyer Brian Steel Taken Into Custody For Contempt Of Court In YSL RICO Trial - 2024-06-11

ATLANTA — Things got heated during the YSL RICO trial after an attorney for rapper Young Thug was taken into custody in court on Monday.

Attorney Brian Steel was held in contempt of court by Judge Ural Glanville after refusing to disclose his source regarding information shared in an ex-parte meeting between the judge, the State, and key witness Kenneth Copeland.

Judge Glanville threatened Steel with contempt several times but he continuously refused. Steel insinuated that the court was committing "coercion" as no representation for his client was invited to the meeting.

"I'm going to give you five minutes. If you don't tell me who it is, I'm going to put you in contempt," Glanville said.

To which, Steel responded, "I don't need five minutes."

After the heated exchange, the court was temporarily recessed. When it was brought back into session, Glanville again asked Steel to tell him how he had found out about the private conversation.

"Mr. Steel, I'm going to ask you again. I need you to tell me how you got this information. This is so sacrosanct to have a conversation in my chambers parroted to you," Glanville exclaimed.

Steel refused a final time before motioning for a mistrial, which was later denied. He was taken into custody shortly after.

Nearly an hour later, Steel was brought back into the courtroom, and Glanville said he would be allowed to be present while the court was in session. However, he has until the the end of the day to reveal the source of the information, or he will be placed back in custody.

The case against Young Thug , whose real name is Jeffery Williams, alleges that not only is he among the gang's members, but he is also its kingpin. The trial has been ongoing since November 2023 and is considered the longest in Georgia's history.