ATLANTA — As the trial against Atlanta rapper Young Thug and the alleged YSL street gang enters its 100th day, proceedings have now been halted.
The decision comes after presiding Judge Ural Glanville ordered Monday that motions filed to have him recused from the case be sent to another judge before the case can resume. The judge says there is no timeline, and the trial will not continue until a decision is made on his recusal.
Prosecutors expressed concern and requested it be expedited on behalf of the jurors, to which Glanville replied, "While I understand your concern, I think the rules of transfer and recusal are pretty clear."
Watch the ruling below:
Glanville has previously denied three motions for his recusal or disqualification from the case. Last week, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled it would not pause the case.
During the hearing, Judge Glanville also ruled that the transcript of the June 10 ex-parte meeting between the judge and prosecutors, which defense attorneys have called "unlawful," should be released. The controversial private meeting led to 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.
Glanville reviewed several laws justifying the meeting and ruled it proper according to the law.
More on the Young Thug, YSL trial
On May 9, 2022, the hip-hop world was jolted with the news that rapper Young Thug—a Grammy winner, trendsetter and Atlanta icon—had been arrested.
It's been over two years now that the artist, whose legal name is Jeffery Williams, has remained behind bars. The central charge against him is that three letters with which his name has become synonymous because of his artistic success in launching the "Young Stoner Life" label, YSL, actually signalize a violent gang: Young Slime Life.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis named Williams, among other metro Atlanta rappers and those with ties to the alleged gang, to bring charges against a total of 28 people in a sweeping 88-page indictment. The case alleges that not only is Young Thug among the gang's members, but he is also its kingpin.
"He is the one they're all afraid of," a prosecutor said at a June 2022 hearing. "He's the one that's King Slime."
A long pretrial process passed to an even longer jury selection process, and across this time, the co-defendant list dwindled with plea deals and other circumstances, keeping some of the individuals charged from remaining on the case.
The trial finally began in earnest in November 2023, already considered the longest in Georgia's history.
11Alive has tracked key developments in the case and highlighted moments in the courtroom. Follow along in the timeline below.