Judge Fani Willis, Fulton County’s District Attorney, has issued a warning to the prosecutor handling the Young Slime Life trial.
Following a recent ex parte meeting, Judge Ural Glanville has ordered all parties present to appear before him for a contempt proceeding to address the leak of information during the meeting.
In his Tuesday order, Glanville summoned Fulton County Prosecutors Lil Woody (real name Kenneth Copeland), the witness, and her attorney Kayla Bumpus to explain why they should not be found guilty of contempt for sharing information from the ex parte meeting with the Defense Counsel on June 25.
This development further escalates the ongoing dispute between defense lawyer Brian Steel and the judge.
Steel, representing Grammy Award-winning rapper Young Thug, criticized the meeting, alleging witness manipulation and lack of transparency towards the defense attorney.
Willis had indicted Young Thug and 28 other co-defendants on gang-related charges in 2022, and they have not entered a plea.
Steel raised concerns about coercion, witness intimidation, and the violation of constitutional rights through ex parte communication that excluded the defense.
Glanville found Steel in contempt for refusing to disclose his source of information and sentenced him to 20 days in jail.
In his Tuesday order, Glanville warned that the prosecutors, Copeland and Bumpus, could face custody if they fail to provide a satisfactory explanation.
Steel received support from the Atlanta legal community, with hundreds of attorneys rallying at the courthouse. Ashleigh Merchant, the chair of the state’s criminal defense association, also stood in support of Steel during the proceedings.
Merchant, known for being Willis’ attorney and her association with Nathan Wade, stressed the obligation to inform defense attorneys about ex parte communications.
Georgia‘s Code of Judicial Conduct prohibits judges from engaging in ex parte communication and requires prompt communication of such instances to all parties involved.