ATLANTA — An attorney representing one of the 14 defendants charged in the sweeping “Young Slime Life” gang case is seeking a mistrial days after an hourslong police interrogation video was leaked online.
Gina Bernard, who represents Jayden Myrick, argued the publication of discovery evidence in the case violates her client’s right to a fair and impartial jury.
“While said evidence may not directly implicate my client, it along with all of the publicity and courtroom incidents since the start of this trial ... make it impossible for him to receive a fair trial, as well as a jury that is honestly and truly fair and impartial,” Bernard wrote.
Myrick was sentenced to life in prison without parole last year in the July 2018 killing of Christian Broder, who was shot to death after a wedding at the Capital City Country Club. Myrick was convicted of murder, armed robbery, aggravated assault and 13 other counts in that case.
While Bernard did not confirm which evidence she was referring to, her motion comes days after a video published online appeared to show a YSL associate speaking with Atlanta detectives for nearly four hours after his October 2021 arrest.
Chained to the floor during the duration of the interview, YSL Woody, whose real name is Kenneth Copeland, offered to provide the police information about their yearslong gang investigation in exchange for leniency.
“How could I help y’all help me, please?” Copeland, who is on the state’s witness list, is shown asking.
One of the detectives shown in the video appears to have a rapport with Copeland, referring to previous conversations they’d had and telling him, “I’ve never lied to you.”
“We can’t promise you anything today, Woody,” the detective tells him. “I gotta make that clear.” She says the best she can do is tell the district attorney’s office that Copeland was helpful.
Copeland tells the detectives about a planned hit, saying, “Somebody is gonna get killed tonight,” then says if he is released from jail he could help investigators catch the perpetrators “in the act.”
Prosecutors say musician Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, is the leader of the YSL, a violent street gang responsible for much of Atlanta’s violence. The defense argues it’s just a record label and that Williams denies all charges.
Though he is mentioned in the indictment, Copeland wasn’t among the 28 alleged YSL associates initially charged last year.
With 14 defendants remaining, the trial is expected to last six to nine months. Finding jurors who can take that much time of work has been challenging, however. Jury selection officially began Jan. 4, but weeks later, not a single person has been seated.
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