Krauss said he found nothing “inherently impropriety” about the meeting but criticized Glanville’s handling of the issue, suggesting her defensiveness called into question her capacity for objectivity. She ordered Mr Glanville’s resignation, citing public confidence.
“While the Court has no doubt that Judge Granville can and will continue to try this case fairly if the motion to recuse itself is denied, the ‘need to maintain public confidence in our judicial system’ supports exempting Judge Granville from further handling of the case,” Kraus wrote.
The ruling came two weeks after Judge Granville abruptly halted the case following complaints of misconduct. The order paved the way for a new judge to be appointed to the case, but it was not immediately clear when that would happen or when testimony in the case would resume.
The case is the longest criminal trial in Georgia history, dragging on for 18 months, and even before this latest turmoil, critics had questioned Judge Granville’s handling of the case, including his decision to delay jury selection for 10 months and his decision to delay the selection process for 10 months. Weeks of interruptions in testimony and other delays.
Eight months after opening statements and with the prosecution halfway through its list of more than 200 witnesses, the trial was abruptly halted. Jurors in the case last heard testimony on June 17.
The Young Thug indictment is one of two high-profile organized crime cases being led by Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis (D), the veteran prosecutor who last summer charged former President Donald Trump and more than a dozen associates with conspiring to overturn Mr. Trump’s loss in the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.
The case is currently stalled as Trump and others appeal a judge’s decision to allow Willis to continue prosecuting the case amid complaints that she had an inappropriate romantic relationship with the case’s former lead prosecutor. Concerns have grown among those close to Willis in recent weeks that the Young Thug case may also be stalled, providing political ammunition for Willis, who is seeking a second term as Fulton County’s chief prosecutor.
A spokesman for Willis declined to comment on the judge’s decision.
Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffrey Lamar Williams, and 27 other associates were indicted in May 2022 as part of a broader grand jury indictment that alleged the rapper and his associates were members of a violent, criminal street gang in Atlanta.
Prosecutors allege Young Thug was the leader of a gang known as YSL (Young Slime Life) and have charged him with organized crime, gang conspiracy, drugs and weapons charges, while others have been charged with other violent crimes, including murder and attempted armed robbery.
Young Thug’s defense team argued that YSL was merely a record label and criticized the prosecution for introducing Young Thug’s lyrics as evidence at trial, arguing that his rhymes were merely artistic expression and not a literal recreation of criminal conduct.
It was not immediately clear whether Glanville’s resignation would get the lawsuit back on track.
Young Thug’s lawyer, Brian Steele, has filed multiple motions to seek a mistrial and is also seeking the dismissal of the Fulton County Assistant District Attorney in charge of the case, Adrienne Love, and another prosecutor who met secretly last month with Glanville and former Young Thug witness Kenneth Copeland.
In his motion last week, Steele notified Glanville and Love that he plans to call them as defense witnesses and question them on sworn depositions about their meetings with Copeland and other private meetings related to the case that the defendants allegedly should have known about.
Steele did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Judge Krauss’ ruling.
