Young Thug is facing up to 120 years in prison if convicted on RICO charges. The rapper is believed by the prosecution to be founder and leader of YSL gang. His lawyer, Brian Steel, has fought tooth and nail to ensure that his client sees the light of day. Steel encountered the wrath of the legal system, however, on June 10. The lawyer confronted the prosecution and the judge over an alleged secret meeting that they had with an alleged Young Thug associate.
Steel took both parties to task over the alleged meeting, as the associate, Kenneth Copeland, is said to be a "star witness" in the case. "If that’s true, what this is is coercion," Steel said. "[As well as] witness intimidation, ex parte communications that we have a constitutional right to be present for." He cited an inside source. Steel refused, however, to name said source despite the demands of the judge. Young Thug's lawyer subsequently noted that an answer would violate attorney-client protections and "work product" privilege.
Young Thug's Lawyer Criticized The Judge's Tactics
The judge tried to order an answer out of Steel by giving him an ultimatum. "I'm going to give you five minutes," he asserted. "If you don't tell me who it is, I'm going to put you in contempt." Steel, sticking by his word, responded: "I don't need five minutes." The lawyer was allowed to carry out the rest of his case but was taken into custody right after. Steel will subsequently spend 10 weekends in jail. This means 20 consecutive days behind bars. Steel requested to spend these days in jail with Young Thug. If his bail is denied. Some 20 plus lawyers stood outside the courtroom, after the arrest, to show their support for Steel.
Brian Steel has been adamant about Young Thug's innocence since day one. He told 11Alive's Neima Abdulahi he was appalled by the rapper's treatment. "I've had the pleasure of defending Williams for approximately a decade. I know his family, I've defended him in courtrooms multiple times." Steel also noted, however, that Young Thug's musical persona does not reflect his real life. "It's an act. They are performers," he reasoned. "They're performing all the time. Much like, I guess, professional wrestlers. We don't even know their real names. They're performing all the time."