How Fani Willis Case Became ‘Cautionary Tale’ for Lawyers: Prosecutor

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ sweeping RICO case against rapper Young Thug and 27 other alleged Young Slime Life (YSL) gang members has become a “cautionary tale” for lawyers, former federal prosecutor and elected state attorney Michael McAuliffe told Newsweek.

Willis has risen to national prominence for using racketeering laws—a charge often wielded against mobs. In 2013, she successfully prosecuted a group of teachers in Atlanta using Georgia’s RICO statute after arguing the educators conspired to cheat on state standardized tests.

The YSL case, which has become clouded by a series of controversies, is one of two high-profile criminal RICO cases currently being led by Willis’ office. Her team is also prosecuting former President Donald Trump and his allies for their alleged efforts to overturn the state’s 2020 election under Georgia’s racketeering laws.

The case against the alleged YSL gang members was halted earlier this month after Judge Ural Glanville said he would pause proceedings until a decision on the motion to remove him from the case was made.

“The trial of the Young Thug RICO gang case should be a cautionary tale for prosecutors,” McAuliffe said. “The case has been unmanageable from the beginning. Chaos and delay almost always favor the defense.”

Newsweek reached out to Willis’ office via email for comment.

At 18 months and counting, the YSL trial is the longest in Georgia’s history. Willis indicted Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffrey Williams, and 27 others for gang-related crimes more than two years ago. Prosecutors argue that Williams is the kingpin of the YSL gang. His attorneys dispute those claims, arguing instead that YSL stands for his record label Young Stoner Life.

Only six of the defendants, including Williams, are standing trial. Jury selection began in January 2023, and opening statements started in November 2023.

It’s not only the length of the trial that has shocked legal observers, a string of dramatic courtroom moments have also drawn national attention to the case. Throughout the course of the trial, one of the defendants has been stabbed in jail, a witness revealed that an investigator from Willis’ office had asked her out on a date during the probe and drugs were distributed in the middle of the courtroom.

Things reached a boiling point last month when Williams’ attorney Brian Steel confronted Glanville in court about a private meeting the judge held with prosecutors and a state witness. Glanville became infuriated and demanded that Steel disclose how he learned of what was said in the meeting, and when Steel refused, the judge held him in contempt of court and sentenced him behind bars for 20 days. The jail sentence was later stayed by an appeals court.

The stunning sequence of events prompted defense attorneys to file motions for Glanville’s recusal, arguing that the judge was helping the prosecution win a conviction. Glanville was removed from the case Monday and it has since been reassigned to Judge Shukura Ingram.

Legal experts warn that the move to replace Glanville with another judge only puts Willis’ case in further jeopardy.

“Any trial that goes on indefinitely has a higher and higher chance of a mistrial. Changing judges mid-trial is extremely rare,” McAuliffe said. “The new judge must address a long list of evidentiary issues and try to move the trial forward. The new judge’s priority will be to get the case to the jury for a verdict or end it through a mistrial or dismissal. The prior scenario of an endless trial likely won’t be acceptable––for good reason.”

Cathy Russon, a managing editor at Law&Crime, said it was unlikely Ingram could pick immediately or at the point where Glanville left off, meaning it was unlikely the trial was seeing another court date soon.

“I’d say very little chance that Judge Ingram (that’s who is taking his place) is able to jump in and continue seeing as how she likely has a full load like all Fulton Co. judges. Also we expect motions for mistrial and/or dismissal to come out,” Russon wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “I doubt this trial is continuing in the near future.”