RICO Trial Against Young Thug: 8 Wild Moments From Lil Woody's Testimony Week

The prosecution's star witness, Kenneth “Lil Woody” Copeland, dodged questions, attacked lawyers and yawned frequently during his unconventional five-day testimony in the trial of rapper Young Thug this week.

Copeland took the stand on Monday and has testified every day this week. He will take the stand again on August 26 after a week without a jury. The wild testimony is the latest dramatic development in a lengthy trial fraught with delays and scandals.

Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, is accused of violating Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, which targets people who commit crimes as part of a criminal organization. Williams and other defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit organized crimes and participation in criminal street gangs, as well as drug and weapons charges.

“I can’t remember”

Although Copeland was willing to testify, he frequently evaded prosecutors' questions by saying, “I can't remember,” “I don't remember,” and “I don't know.”

Last week, Copeland made a surprise appearance at a hearing as the judge, prosecution and defense prepared for the jury to return on Monday. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker asked Copeland if he would testify again in the case.

“Depends on how I wake up,” he replied.

Copeland's original testimony was interrupted by motions to dismiss the original judge in the case, Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Ural Glanville. Glanville was accused of holding a secret meeting with Copeland and prosecutors.

All of Copeland's statements following the first motion were struck from the record.

On Monday, he told the judge that he had been “put under pressure from the beginning.”

“I’m tired of all of you bothering me,” Copeland said.

Whitaker reminded Copeland that he had made a deal with prosecutors in exchange for his testimony.

“I'm sorry you're tired of being harassed, but you're under a subpoena,” Whitaker said. “It's a valid court order, so your decision at that point is, 'Yes, I will comply with the subpoena and testify,' or 'No, I will not comply with the subpoena and immunity order and will be held in contempt of court for my refusal and put in jail.' So what's your decision?”

Copeland then continued his testimony, but avoided a number of questions, including some seemingly simple ones.

Copeland said several times that he could not remember statements he made in court the previous day. He also said “I believe” when asked to confirm that a certain date was his birthday.

Copeland releases new music

One of the most interesting moments this week occurred outside the courtroom.

Copeland, an up-and-coming rapper, released a new song Tuesday night called “I Don't Recall,” a reference to his usual responses to questions from prosecutors.

“Don’t ask me if there are no co-defendants, I can’t remember,” Copeland raps in the song.

He also sells a scarf, a T-shirt and a tank top featuring the song on his merchandise website.

Suspension of lawyer interrupts testimony

Copeland's testimony was cut short Tuesday after he learned of his attorney's suspension.

He testified throughout the morning without his attorney, Jonathan Melnick, present.

However, after returning from the lunch break, Copeland said he refused to continue his testimony in Melnick's absence. Copeland said he learned that Melnick had been suspended during the break.

The Supreme Court of Georgia announced the suspension early this morning.

“Accordingly, it is hereby ordered that Jonathan R. Melnick be suspended from the practice of law in Georgia for six months,” the decision states. “The suspension based on this opinion shall be effective on the date of issuance of this opinion and shall terminate according to its own terms six months thereafter.”

The state Supreme Court complained about the “non-compliance” with the rules and regulations regarding continuing legal education.

Whitaker called a recess after Copeland's announcement as she attempted to obtain a public defender.

She dismissed the jury for the day after learning that defense counsel would not be available until Wednesday morning.

Copeland yawns and dozes repeatedly

During his testimony, Copeland was observed at least once to occasionally yawn and nod off.

On Wednesday, Copeland asked Whitaker if he could appear in court at 10 a.m. instead of 9 a.m., claiming he doesn't get much sleep.

Whitaker denied his request and said she would see him in court the next day at 9 a.m.

Police interrogations played in court

Although Copeland often could not remember what he had told police during various encounters, prosecutors played footage of his interrogations to fill in the missing pieces.

On Thursday, prosecutors showed a video of Copeland's interrogation by police in 2015.

In the footage, Copeland detailed information about the drive-by shooting of Donovan “Nut” Thomas in January 2015.

He also informed officials of alleged crimes committed by Williams and other defendants in the case.

Copeland's plan to incriminate a young gangster

Copeland admitted that he told police that Williams committed certain crimes in order to avoid punishment for his own criminal acts.

“To get rid of them, I said, 'The gangster did this, the gangster did that.' Because I knew he didn't do it,” Copeland said in his testimony Monday.

On Tuesday, he explained his tactics in more detail, saying he took advantage of the fact that officials wanted information about Williams.

“They want to hear about Thug, so I'm going to sit right here and gas them. I'm going to sit right here and say he killed 19 people and so on,” Copeland said. “I'm going to sit right here and make him out to be the worst person on earth so they'll believe me and let me go.”

Copeland said he became angry with Williams after he released a song that mentioned “Lil Woody,” a reference to the aspiring rapper's stage name.

Around this time, Copeland was being questioned about the drive-by shooting of Thomas. He said the song seemed to point to him as a murder suspect.

” Why are you rapping about what I do on the street? As if it had nothing to do with [you]So yes, I was angry with him and plotted against him,” Copeland said.

Assistant District Attorney Simone Hylton asked Copeland if he was referring to a line from the song “Halftime” that says, “Lil' Woody pull up and beat him up.”

He said the timing of the release bothered him more than the content of the song.

Copeland attacks prosecutors

Although Copeland was willing to testify, he often vented his anger toward prosecutors, leading to him being labeled a “hostile witness.”

Copeland rolled his eyes several times during questioning. He accused prosecutors of asking him the same questions “30,000 times.”

“I'm tired of answering these questions. They ask me the same thing over and over and over again,” Copeland said.

He also asked for a break on Monday because his blood pressure was “really high.”

“The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can leave you alone,” Hylton replied.

Witness statements drag on for another week

Earlier this week, prosecutors told the judge that Copeland's testimony was supposed to be completed by Friday, but it was still heard at the end of the trial week.

Copeland will return for more testimony on August 26. In the meantime, there will be a week of hearings on the outstanding motions. The jury will not be present for those proceedings.

Whitaker said she hopes to complete the process before the holidays.

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