Young Thug reacts to a co-defendant crying out in a Fulton County courtroom on April 19, 2023. (Law&Crime Network)
A tumultuous two-day stretch of the Young Thug-YSL-RICO trial staggered forward Thursday with a series of bangs and whimpers. Some slight progress was made in the seemingly never-ending, monthslong jury selection process before the court took a several hour-long break — which came after multiple arrests were made inside the courthouse.
Chaos reigned on Wednesday afternoon in the Atlanta legal building where recording artist Jeffery Williams, 31, better known by his stage name, Young Thug – along with a dozen other co-defendants – faces myriad racketeering-related charges including murder, attempted murder, and gang-related allegations in the complex case.
Late in the day, defendant Rodalius “Lil Rod” Ryan was escorted out of Judge Ural Glanville’s courtroom by a group of Fulton County Sheriff’s deputies and was then heard screaming in a nearby back room.
His screams were loud and harrowing.
As Ryan cried out, co-defendants Christian Eppinger and Coradrius Dorsey stood up and yelled for officers to let him out of the cell.
“All of a sudden they take Mr. Ryan, the young child, I mean, he’s a kid, they take him to the back, and we can hear him screaming,” an attorney for Dorsey told Atlanta-based ABC affiliate WSB-TV. “We can hear him in the courtroom yelling for help. And we’re all confused.”
The confusion soon spread and the courtroom was cleared. Everyone was ushered to the lobby. Several defendants were handcuffed amidst the kerfuffle. Roughly 20 minutes later, authorities began letting people back inside the Peach State’s halls of justice.
After returning to the courtroom, Young Thug’s attorney Brian Steel relayed concerns that the chaotic events of the afternoon were an “orchestrated event.” Prosecutors sharply contested that allegation.
According to the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, deputies initially removed and handcuffed Ryan because they noticed the air of marijuana on him. After a search, they allegedly discovered that he had two packages of marijuana sewn into his underwear.
This isn’t the first time that a co-defendant in the case has gotten into trouble for allegedly having drugs inside the courtroom.
According to prosecutors, Thug and co-defendant, Kahlieff Adams, engaged in a hand-to-hand drug deal that was caught on court surveillance footage – resulting in the third time jury selection was scuppered since the time-consuming process began in January.
More Law&Crime coverage: Prosecutors Allege ‘Hand-to-Hand Drug Transaction’ Occurred in Court During Young Thug Jury Selection
The “Young Slime Life” drama did not let up at all on on Thursday morning – even as jury selection stayed snail-paced.
Law&Crime learned that defense attorney Anastasios Manettas was arrested during a bag search as he made his way into the courthouse, allegedly for possessing prescription medication.
Manettas, who represents co-defendant Miles “Slato/Lil Miles” Farley, was handcuffed and brought into the back of the courtroom at around 10:00 a.m. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, citing authorities, he was charged with simple battery on a law enforcement officer, possession of pills not in their original container, obstruction and disrupting court proceedings.
Fulton County Sheriff Patrick “Pat” Labat told the paper that during the initial arrest, Manettas threw his cellphone at a member of law enforcement – accounting for the battery charge.
That account, however, was disputed by court-appointed defense attorney Suri Chadha Jimenez, who told the paper that Manettas was actually trying to toss his phone to a colleague while he was being detained and the device accidentally hit the deputy in question.
Miles Farley, on the left, and attorney Anastasios Manettas, on the right, appear in court. (Law&Crime Network)
Sanctions and upbraiding have been a familiar feature in Judge Glanville’s courtroom during the pendency of the proceedings.
Manettas was previously held in contempt and ordered to not only pay a fine, but to buy his fellow attorneys in the case lunch — but the food, allegedly, was never provided. The court addressed that issue earlier this week.
CONTEMPT – The judge presiding in the #YSL #YoungThug RICO trial held an attorney in contempt and ordered him to pay $250 AND buy his colleagues lunch. Judge addressed it today saying Anastassious Manettas, Miles Farley’s atty, has not bought the lunch. (not making this up) pic.twitter.com/nyUIMAOAEy
— Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) April 17, 2023
More Law&Crime coverage: Judge scolds potential juror in Young Thug RICO trial, threatens to send him to jail for calling reporter covering trial
As for the progress made amidst the two-day-long courthouse contretemps? The co-defendant list was shortened by one; meaning the attorney list was also shortened; meaning jury selection might be somewhat shorter as a result.
BREAKING: Defendant Miles Farley, aka Slato aka Lil Miles, represented by the attorney that was arrested this morning – his case will now be severed from the others. He will NOT be included in this trial.
WATCH: #YSL #YoungThug pic.twitter.com/0CGRbCCpog
— Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) April 20, 2023
The prosecution began with 28 co-defendants. Along the way, eight people took plea deals. As of Thursday, seven cases were severed.
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