YSL prosecutors defend secret witness meeting while opposing judge recusal
Prosecutors in Atlanta, Georgia, say defense attorneys had no right to attend the June 10 ex parte meeting that's the basis for two recusal motions against the trial judge.
Prosecutors on Wednesday defended their secret meeting with the judge and a key witness in rapper Jeffery “Young Thug” Williams’ state racketeering conspiracy trial, saying defense attorneys had no right to attend and the judge should remain on the case.
The nine-page filing says Williams and his five co-defendants have no legal interest in prosecutors’ attempts to compel Kenneth “Woody” Copeland’s testimony, so the fact that a meeting took place over it cannot be grounds to recuse Judge Ural Glanville.
“Matters addressed during the meeting concerned only the contempt proceedings against Mr. Copeland; and the topics addressed included … Mr. Copeland’s rights and representation as it relates to the proceedings,” according to the brief from Adriane Love, chief deputy district attorney in Fulton County, Georgia.
The response to the recusal motions against Glanville does not address the misconduct allegations Williams’ lawyers Brian Steel and Keith Adams lodged in an affidavit filed Monday that said Glanville made himself a “member of the prosecution team” by helping Love and Deputy District Attorney Simone Hylton persuade Copeland to testify.
It includes as an exhibit a previously unseen ex parte motion to compel Copeland’s testimony, filed before Glanville called the June 10 meeting at the center of the recusal requests.
Signed by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis on June 7, the five-page motion said the racketeering conspiracy charge and one of the murder charges in the 65-count indictment are “based in part upon the statements that Copeland gave to police” during six recorded interviews in 2015.
Copeland, however, said on June 6 that he “may attempt to plead the Fifth in order to avoid testifying against members of YSL,” according to the motion, which argued his testimony was “necessary to the public interest.”
The motion sought to jail Copeland should he refuse to testify, which Glanville promptly did later that day when Copeland answered, “I plead the Fifth” after he was asked his age.
Based on prosecutors’ request, Glanville also issued a two-page order that said Copeland “shall be subject to prosecution or to penalty or forfeiture for any perjury, false swearing, or contempt committed in testifying or failing to testify in accordance with this Order.” Prosecutors had earlier granted Copeland immunity from prosecution for his testimony — except for perjury — which eliminated his legal ability to invoke the Fifth.
Wednesday’s filing responded to recusal motions from Steel and Adams as well as lawyers for Williams’ co-defendant Deamonte Kendrick. It focuses in part on what happened after the June 10 meeting when Steel confronted Glanville about it during a break in Copeland’s testimony, saying he “stood in open court and demanded a mistrial as he loudly and repeatedly hurled at the Chief Judge Glanville accusations of misconduct.”
“Most disturbingly, after accusing the Court of illegal activity, Mr. Steel repeatedly disobeyed the Chief Judge Glanville’s commands to reveal the Mr. Steel’s source of information regarding in-chamber matters,” Love wrote.
Love included as an exhibit emails between her and Jonathan Melnick, an Atlanta attorney who represented Copeland when he was arrested in court on June 7. The exchange began with Melnick forwarding a chain of emails from March 2023 related to Copeland, which he did to support his complaint that prosecutors contacted Copeland even though they knew he had a lawyer.
In reply, Love reiterated a point she made in court earlier that day after Copeland refused to testify.
“Is your concern for your client or for Mr. Steel’s and Mr. Schardt’s?” Love asked, referring to Williams’ counsel Brian Steel as well as Max Schardt, attorney for Williams’ co-defendant Shannon Stillwell.
Melnick replied that his concern “is for my client.”
“Had I been involved I would have demanded a much more specific immunity deal. You need him much more then [sic] he needs you. You’ve put him in a terrible position where you know his life is in danger whether in custody or on the street. He’s a marked man from this point forward. Go fuck yourself if you think I’m doing anything besides protecting my client,” Melnick wrote.
Melnick was not with Copeland during the June 10 ex parte meeting because he was out of town, but another attorney, Kayla Bumpus, substituted for him.
Wednesday’s filing again implies Melnick was was working against Copeland’s interests to try to block his testimony in order to help Williams and his co-defendants.
“Mr. Copeland thereafter stated his intention to testify, and Mr. Melnick looked toward Mr. Steel and Mr. Schardt and shrugged his shoulders,” Love wrote. The paragraph describing the June 7 proceeding cites a 16-minute segment of a YouTube trial stream that does not show such a gesture by Melnick, who is not on camera when Copeland agrees to testify.
Love also argues Glanville errored by sending the recusal motions to another judge because if the facts alleged are true, they do not warrant recusal.
The recusal motions will be decided by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Rachel Krause, who on Tuesday declined to recuse herself from the recusal motions.
Previous article:
Court documents:
June 10 ex parte hearing transcript
June 12 Weinstein team’s motion to recuse Judge Glanville
June 12 Glanville rejects Weinstein team’s recusal motion
June 14 Kayla Bumpus’ motion to quash and recuse
June 17 Steel’s motion to recuse Glanville
June 20 Georgia Supreme Court petition re: Glanville
June 28 Fulton County emergency petition re: Glanville
July 7 Brian Steel and Keith Adams affidavit re: June 10 meeting
July 7 Steel and Adams’ full supplement to recusal motion
July 9 Judge Krause rejects Steel’s and Adams’ recusal request
July 9 Judge Krause rejects Weinstein’s team’s recusal motion
July 10 Prosecutors respond to recusal motions
Actor Alec Baldwin’s ‘Rust’ shooting trial begins
I spoke with LiveNow from Fox host Andrew Craft on Tuesday about the start of actor Alec Baldwin’s criminal trial in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Baldwin is charged with involuntary manslaughter for the October 2021 shooting death of “Rust” movie cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. He faces up to 18 months in prison if convicted.
A different jury convicted “Rust” armorer Hannah Guiterrez-Reed in February. She may testify in Baldwin’s trial.
Opening statements were Wednesday.
Here’s prosecutor Erlinda Johnson’s:
And here’s defense attorney Alex Spiro’s:
I’ll be back soon with more coverage of Los Angeles cases, including the latest in political corruption prosecutions. Thank you for supporting my work.
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