ATLANTA — The RICO trial involving rapper Young Thug and the alleged YSL street gang continues Wednesday after proceedings resumed the day before with a major motions hearing.
That followed an interruption of the trial that resulted in the recusal of the original judge overseeing proceedings.
Proceedings Wednesday before Judge Paige Reese Whitaker began at 8:45 a.m. ET. You can watch them in the video player above this story or in the YouTube player below.
On Tuesday, Judge Whitaker denied a motion to reconsider bond for Young Thug. More motions are expected to be up for consideration on Wednesday.
More on recent case developments
The case's initial judge, Ural Glanville, was removed after attorneys for Young Thug had argued that he should no longer oversee the case because of a June 10 proceeding known as an ex parte meeting that became the subject of deep contention in the trial.
In her order, Judge Rachel Krause -- who was assigned the recusal matter -- stated, "This Court has no doubt that Judge Glanville can and would continue presiding fairly over this matter if the recusal motions were denied, but the 'necessity of preserving the public's confidence in the judicial system' weighs in favor of excusing Judge Glanville from further handling of this case."
The controversial private meeting, at which Judge Glanville, prosecutors and a witness were present without defense attorneys involved, led to Young Thug's attorney Brian Steel being held in contempt and sentenced to a 20-day jail sentence, which has been reversed after the state Supreme Court granted him bond.
Steel had been held in contempt for refusing to reveal his source for how he heard about the ex parte meeting.
Judge Glanville later released the transcript of the meeting with the witness, Kenneth Copeland a.k.a. "Lil Woody."
Copeland was arrested on June 7 and held in contempt after refusing to testify on the stand as part of an immunity agreement. A few days later, in the judge's chambers, prosecutors shared an email sent to them by Copeland's attorney accusing them of making him a target by forcing him to testify. They also said his attorney was threatening to pull out of the case.
Prosecutors later told Copeland that if he still refused to take the stand, he could be in jail until every defendant had their cases decided. He did eventually testify.
Copeland had an attorney present for the meeting, but she was a stand-in for his usual lawyer, who was out of town. Steel insinuated that the court was committing "coercion" as no representation for his client was invited to the meeting.
The extraordinary turn in the case captivated legal observers.
