Ashleigh Merchant, the attorney who previously took on Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in the election interference case against Donald Trump, has now jumped into another high-profile RICO case prosecuted by Willis’ office.
Merchant surprisingly showed up at the Fulton County Courthouse on Monday to represent an Atlanta lawyer who got arrested during a court hearing. Brian Steel, known for representing rapper Young Thug in the Young Slime Trial, faced contempt charges after a clash with Judge Ural Grville over alleged conversations between the judge, prosecutors, and a key witness in the case where Willis indicted Young Thug and 27 others for gang offenses in 2022.
Atlanta’s legal community was taken aback by the events on Monday. Several criminal defense attorneys, including Merchant who chairs Georgia’s Criminal Defense Attorney Association, rallied behind Steel.
Earlier this year, Merchant made headlines by revealing a relationship between Willis and Nathan Wade. Her efforts gained steam as more defendants joined in pushing for Willis’ removal, leading to an embarrassing evidence hearing where Willis testified about the affair.
The Georgia Court of Appeals is challenging the judge’s ruling in the Trump case, with a hearing set for October 4, 2018. Steel sought a mistrial on Monday, claiming improper communication between the judge and a witness. Refusing to disclose his source, Steel faced arrest and a ten-weekend jail term from Judge Granville.
Merchant, representing Steel, argued that he shouldn’t face contempt for acting in good faith. She stressed that Steel deserved fair treatment like all defendants and legal rights. Merchant firmly defended Steel’s rights in the courtroom.
Reacting to the judge’s decisions, Merchant vocally opposed the treatment of attorneys and emphasized the challenges criminal defense lawyers face, stating they should not be unjustly incarcerated for doing their jobs.
In an unprecedented move, the judge ordered Steel to serve weekends at Cobb County Jail along with Granville to continue preparing for the trial, which drew comments from legal professionals and analysts expressing strong support for Steel.