Thread by @cathyrusson

LIVE: Young Thug YSL RICO Trial — GA v. Jeffery Williams et al — Day 88 via @YouTubeyoutube.com/live/86KY3agxE…

Kenneth "Lil Woody" Copeland is expected to plead the fifth again this morning after spending the weekend in jail on contempt. Stay tuned for day EIGHTY-EIGHT of this crazy trial. #YSL #YoungThug

Prosecutor Hilton has been in another courtroom this morning. The prosecution back row is present as well as all the defendants and defense teams. The judge hasn't taken the bench. Unknown if Hilton in another courtroom is related at all. #YSL #YoungThug

The court reporter has arrived. #YSL #YoungThug

Judge Glanville is on the bench. #YSL #YoungThug

Prosecution Hylton just walked in. #YSL #YoungThug

Prosecutor Love has entered the courtroom. #YSL #YoungThug

Judge Glanville:  It's my understanding that he's (Lil Woody) going to testify. #YSL #YoungThug

Glanville: Mr. Copeland's spoken to his lawyer this morning and my understanding is he's going to testify. That's all I can tell you.
#YSL #YoungThug

Kenneth Copeland "Lil Woody" enters in shackles. He says he does intend to testify. Stay tuned!

#YSL #YoungThug

Hylton: Can you tell the jury how old you are?
Copeland: um................32
Hylton: On July 25?
Copeland: I guess.

#YSL #YoungThug

Hylton: What are your three brothers' names?
Copeland: Noto, Trez and Boss (no idea if I'm spelling those correctly)

Copeland said he went to a lot of different schools. When asked the names he said he only remembers the name of one school he intended.
Did you go to middle school?
Copeland: Um, I think...

#YSL #Young

Copeland looks up before every answer. These questions are just background questions but he really doesn't want to answer.

#YSL #YoungThug

Copeland doesn't know the ages of his children.

#YSL #YoungThug

Do you have any criminal convictions?
Copeland: Of course.
Do you know how many?
Copeland: I don't keep up with that.

#YSL #YoungThug

"I got vision problems." Lil Woody testifies when asked to identify Shannon Stillwell in the courtroom. (You can't make this up)
He looks around for a LONG time, says he's light headed.... Ha!

#YSL #YoungThug

Copeland asks for a drink. Hylton says she can get him some water.
Copeland: I don't drink water.

Copeland: Who am I looking for?
He then proceeds to pretty much identify everyone in the courtroom as Shannon Stillwell except Shannon Stillwell.

#YSL #YoungThug

Is Shannon from Atlanta?
Copeland: I don't know
When you first met him, where did you meet him?
Copeland: Who?

#YSL #YoungThug

Lunch recess until 1:35pm.
#YSL #YoungThug

Back from lunch . Jury not present. Steel says this morning, prosecutors, Woody and Woody's stand in lawyer met with the judge in chambers this morning without the defense knowing.

Judge not happy. Wants to know how Steel found out about it saying that was an ex parte meeting.

Judge asks him how he found out. Steel: I'm not going to answer that question.

Glanville: You and I are going to have some problems.

#YSL #YoungThug

WOW!!!! Judge Glanville just walked out and told Steel he had 5 minutes to tell him who told him about the ex parte meeting/communication or he'll hold him in contempt. Steel says in chambers this morning Woody was told by the judge that he could be in jail for the remainder of the trial. Prosecutor Love allegedly told Woody it could be for the rest of ALL of the defendants' trials in this case. "If true, this is coercion, witness intimidation...."
#YSL #YoungThug

BREAKING: Steel said he was told that Kenneth "Lil Woody" Copeland ADMITTED in chambers this morning that he killed Donovan "Nut" Thomas, with the judge and prosecution present. #YSL #YoungThug

We're about to find out if Judge Glanville is going to hold #YoungThug's attorney Brian Steel in contempt for not revealing how he found out about the details in an ex parte meeting in judge's chambers this morning.

Judge back on the bench insisting Steel tell him who gave him the information about the ex parte meeting.

#YSL #YoungThug

Steel won't give him the info.

BREAKING: Judge Glanville's holds #YoungThug's attorney Brian Steel in contempt.

Glanville tells Steel he has until 5pm to think about it.

Glanville to Steel: You'll be in custody until then.

Judge Glanville insinuates it was Lil Woody's stand in counsel that gave Steel the info.

#YSL #YoungThug

Judge ordered Steel to be taken into custody but that's on hold for more arguments right now.

#YSL

So now we know what was happening this morning with Hylton and Love missing. They were in chambers with Judge, Woody and Woody's counsel.
#YSL #YoungThug

Prosecutor Love is asking that the judge strike everything that Brian Steel said. (It will live forever on Law&Crime YouTube)

Now Max Schardt, Shannon Stillwell's attorney moves for a mistrial.
#YSL #YoungThug

Schardt argues that they were ordered to be here for a 9am start and they sat for 2 hours this morning not knowing that the judge, prosecutors and witness Kenneth Copeland were in judge's chambers having an ex parte meeting.
#YSL #YoungThug

And remember, the judge had the opportunity to at the very least let the defense teams know he held an ex parte meeting this morning without disclosing the details. He did not. He called court into session, called for the jury and Lil Woody took the stand. This is after, allegedly, Woody admitted to Judge Glanville that he killed Donovan Thomas. #YSL #YoungThug

Schardt says having an ex parte meeting with a witness that has already been sworn in and not letting the defense know, is not right.

Judge denies Schardt's motion for mistrial.
#YSL #YoungThug

Huey's attorney, Careton Matthews, also moves for a mistrial.

#YSL #YoungThug

BREAKING: Judge Glanville orders #YoungThug's attorney Brian Steel taken into custody for contempt!
Thug's co-counsel Eric Adams says he will not continue with the trial today. Glanville tells him he will not extort the court.
#YSL

BREAKING: WATCH - Here is the moment #YoungThug's attorney Brian Steel was taken into custody for contempt. The deputy whispered in his ear (I assume he told him he wouldn't cuff him.) He was held in contempt for not revealing his source that told him what happened in an ex parte hearing this morning with Kenneth "Lil Woody" Copeland.
#YSL

Judge Glanville allowed Brian Steel back in the courtroom at prosecutor Love's request. He's still in contempt, but will be allowed to be in the courtroom while court is in session.
#YSL #YoungThug

The jury has finally been allowed back in the courtroom. Their lunch break was supposed to end over 2 hours ago. Kenneth Copeland is back on the stand.

#YSL #YoungThug

Woody refuses to look at photos the state has put in front of him.
Do I have to look at them?
Hylton: Yes.
#YSL #YoungThug

Steel will go back into custody when court adjourns today if he doesn't reveal his source.

#YSL #YoungThug

Woody back to being vague. When asked to identify people in a picture he says it's blurry, "I been in jail."

Woody identifies himself and the man in the middle but when it comes to the man on the right (Shannon Stillwell), he'll only say, "It looks like him."
#YSL #YoungThug

"I can't recall 2014, I've been in jail so much." - Kenneth Copeland.

What does what you're doing with your hands symbolize?

Copeland: A bird.

#YSL #YoungThug

Who are you closer to today? Damekion or Shannon?

Copeland: God.

#YSL #YoungThug

Taking a 10 minute break. As everyone stands for the jury to walk out, Copeland says into the mic, "I gotta a headache."

#YSL #YoungThug

BREAKING: There is a "sea of attorneys" in the hallway ready to stand in solidarity with #YoungThug's attorney Brian Steel per our photographer.
#YSL

FYI - There's a glitch in the YouTube stream of #YoungThug #YSL where it's only allowing you to rewind a little bit. We have this issue with YT from time to time. As soon as the feed is no longer "live", the entire day will be there. Unfortunately when this happens it's out of our hands.

Among the attorneys in the hallway of the courthouse in support of #YoungThug attorney Brian Steel is former YSL attorney Suri Chadha Jimenez & well-known husband/wife attorneys Ashleigh and John Merchant

We are standing by to see what happens at the end of the day with attorney Steel.

#YSL #YoungThug

More attorneys are filling the hallway.
Court has not been called back into session yet. No one let back into the courtroom yet.

#YSL #YoungThug

50 minutes ago....FIVE ZERO....Judge Glanville told the jury, "Let's take 10 minutes and see where the day leads us.". He should have dismissed them.

#YSL #YoungThug

Getting ready to start.

#YSL #YoungThug

WATCH: Here's what happened an hour ago: Judge calls for a 10 minute recess and Kenneth Copeland says to the prosecutor: "I'm about to take the fifth."

#YSL #YoungThug

Judge Glanville back on the bench. Jurors are being brought in so they can be dismissed for the day. (Should have done that an hour ago) Then he'll take up "other matters".
#YSL #YoungThug

Judge Glanville is not allowing the attorneys in the hallway inside the court. "There's no room". I mean..the jury box is empty right now ......

Glanville allowed Ashleigh Merchant into the courtroom as she is representing Steel in this contempt. #YSL #YoungThug

Merchant tells Glanville that Steel has a right to a contempt hearing, call witnesses, etc.. Glanville says for criminal contempt he does not have to have a hearing. Merchant immediately starts rattling off the case law on it.
#YSL #YoungThug

Merchant asks that the 20-25 attorneys in the hallway be allowed in. Judge Glanville says there's no room. She looks around and says there's room in the gallery and the jury box. Glanville: I don't want them in my jury box.
#YSL #YoungThug

I actually don't understand the judge not allowing the attorneys to sit in the empty jury box. I've sat in multiple jury boxes as media during hearings.

Judge Glanville doubling down. He says Steel is being held in contempt. Merchant motions for Glanville to recuse himself from this Contempt issue.
#YSL #YoungThug

Merchant says Judge Glanville is a witness in this contempt hearing since he was involved in the ex parte hearing and therefore he can be called as a witness and he must recuse himself.
#YSL #YoungThug

Glanville after a long pause said "I'll let an appellate court decide that.

#YSL #YoungThug

Merchant asks that Judge Glanville grant Steel a bond. Judge: He doesn't get one on this.....

Judge Glanville, after being adamant that he was right, then says.....um...let me think about this for a minute. Court is recess while he thinks.
#YSL #YoungThug

I've eaten entirely too many Jolly Ranchers waiting on Judge Glanville's 5 minutes today.

There are at least 15 attorneys in the gallery now.
#YSL #YoungThug

32 minutes ago, Judge Glanville called for a 5 minute recess.

In the midst of all this, Judge Glanville released Lil Woody from his contempt incarceration as long as he promised to show up tomorrow morning.
#YoungThug #YSL

45 minutes ago Judge Glanville called a 5 minute recess.

15K viewers staring at a seal ....

This is really ridiculous. ONE HOUR ago, Judge Glanville called for a 5 minute break. It's 7:30pm local time.
#YSL #YoungThug

HERE WE GO

The court's had an opportunity to reflect...

#YSL #YoungThug

BREAKING: Judge Glanville sentences Brian Steel to serve TWENTY days in the Fulton County Jail to serve every weekend for criminal contempt.
#YSL #YoungThug

Brian Steel asks if he can spend those weekends with #YoungThug in jail so he can continue to prepare his case. Yes, he wants to share a cell with Thug.
#YSL

Court is adjourned. This case is a hot mess.