Ashleigh Merchant, a UK attorney, is pushing for a judge to step down from a criminal case where other lawyers were found guilty of contempt.
Merchant, a Marietta, Georgia-based criminal defense specialist, gained prominence for arguing that Fulton County District Attorney, Fani Willis, was unfit to handle Donald Trump’s election interference case due to her alleged inappropriate relationship with Nathan Wade, the special prosecutor.
The hearings stemmed from claims made by former Trump adviser Michael Roman, who faced charges in Willis’ RICO case involving Trump, 18 others, and ex-Trump officials. The focus was on Willis’ alleged romance with Wade, leading to several high-profile hearings. Eventually, Judge Scott McAfee ruled that Willis could proceed if Wade resigned, which he did.
Merchant made headlines again by defending Brian Steel, who represents Young Thug (Jeffery Lama Williams) in the Young Slime Life case. Steel faced contempt charges for confronting Ural Granville over alleged discussions involving the judge, prosecutors, and a key witness.
Willis had charged Young Thug with gang-related crimes in 2022, which he has denied.
Merchant, acting as Steel’s counsel, insisted that Granville couldn’t threaten Steel with contempt for presenting a motion in good faith. She argued that the defense should be informed of any behind-the-scenes communications.
During the courtroom showdown on Monday, Merchant accused Granville of being involved in secretive communications, labeling him a witness. She argued for Steel’s rights to due process, akin to all defendants in the courtroom.
Steel sought a mistrial on grounds of alleged improper communication between the judge and a sworn witness. He claimed that neither him nor other defense members were aware of these exchanges.
Granville found Steel in contempt and sentenced him to serve ten weekends in prison.