Young Thug trial continues with Lil' Woody on the witness stand

ATLANTA, Georgia (Atlanta News First) – The first week of testimony in Young Thug's trial under a new judge continues Thursday, with the prosecution's star witness (now revealed to be a hostile witness) Kenneth Copeland, aka Lil' Woody, returning to the stand.

Jonathan Melnick, who represented Copeland, was suspended from practicing law in Georgia for six months on Tuesday after the Georgia Supreme Court ruled that Melnick had failed to reimburse his client for legal fees in a Rockdale County paternity case.

On Tuesday, Copeland told the court he did not want to continue his testimony without a lawyer and asked the court to provide him with an attorney. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker said the court had found an attorney named Charles Engelberger, but he would not be available until Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Engelberger was in court with his client and said Copeland intended to continue his testimony.

Testimony resumed Monday after a nearly two-month delay during which Young Thug's trial got a new judge, who has since denied multiple motions to dismiss the case and defense attempts to disqualify Fulton County's two lead prosecutors. On Monday, Whitaker asked jurors if they could ignore Copeland's previous testimony, since she ruled last week that Copeland was not adequately represented at his first appearance in June. All jurors indicated they could do so.

On Tuesday, prosecutors said they planned to complete their questioning of Copeland by Friday.

On Monday, Copeland said he had repeatedly lied to police about crimes that were linked to the global star and that he had told police anything he thought would help him avoid trouble and prison.

On Friday, Whitaker denied a motion by defense attorney Max Schardt, who is representing co-defendant Shannon Stillwell, to disqualify Assistant District Attorney Adriane Love and Deputy District Attorney Simone Hylton.

Schardt alleged that prosecutors violated the Brady Rule when they attended at least one secret meeting with the trial's former judge, Ural Glanville, and Copeland. One of those meetings took place on June 10, 2024, and ultimately led to Glanville's recuse.

But Whitaker also ordered that the entire team prosecuting the massive RICO case undergo training on what constitutes a violation of the hallowed rule of justice that requires them to disclose evidence that could be beneficial to a defendant.

Whitaker also rejected a motion to dismiss the case on Friday from Doug Weinstein, who represents Deamonte Kendrick, aka Yak Gotti.

On June 7, 2024, Copeland himself was jailed for refusing to testify. It is widely believed that Copeland had informed police of alleged crimes committed by Young Thug and the alleged YSL gang. The following Monday, Copeland changed his mind and agreed to testify.

Glanville then ordered Young Thug's attorney, Brian Steel, to be held in contempt of court after Steel told Glanville in court that he learned of the meeting, which took place without the knowledge or warning of other defense attorneys. Glanville demanded to know how Steel learned of the meeting, and Steel refused to reveal his source. Glanville then ordered Steel's arrest.

Glanville's contempt of court ruling against Steel has since been overturned by the Georgia Supreme Court. Glanville eventually released the schedule and minutes of that meeting.

Williams was arrested on May 9, 2022, along with 27 other alleged gang members in Buckhead as part of a 56-count indictment. Jury selection took longer than any other trial in Georgia history, and the actual testimony itself will likely surpass state records, both of which were set by the 2014-15 Atlanta Public Schools teachers scandal and trial.

The trial itself began on November 27, 2023. Defense attorneys have repeatedly expressed concerns that the trial could drag on for years due to the number of witnesses the state plans to call.

The prosecution is trying to prove that YSL is a criminal street gang responsible for numerous crimes. The defense says YSL is not a gang, but merely the name of a record label.

Young Thug himself faces eight counts of criminal charges under a federal law originally enacted to combat organized crime. Georgia is one of 33 states with its own RICO law, but in the Peach State, alleged criminal organizations do not have to have existed as long as the federal law requires.

Williams is also charged with possession of marijuana with intent to resell, possession of codeine with intent to resell, possession of cocaine, possession of a firearm and possession of a machine gun.

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