ATLANTA — A prospective juror in the case against Atlanta rapper Young Thug and his alleged associates was sentenced to three days in jail for filming court proceedings on her cellphone.
Juror 1004 was led away in handcuffs Monday morning after the judge scolded her for what he said was a willful violation of his instructions last month at the Fulton County Courthouse.
It was initially believed the woman livestreamed the proceedings on March 17, but she said in court that she recorded a video and then quickly deleted it.
“It wasn’t livestreamed at all,” the potential juror said. “I did take a video and then the young lady next to me said I couldn’t do that.”
The woman’s cellphone was confiscated by deputies, who found the video clip in her “recently deleted” folder, the juror said. She told Chief Judge Ural Glanville it was her first time being summoned for jury duty and she didn’t realize she wasn’t allowed to film.
Glanville noted he gives potential jurors a lengthy list of what he calls “ad nauseum admonitions” governing their conduct inside his courtroom.
“I went through a very long and arduous process of telling people what they could not do and you violated that,” he told the juror. “And you put this trial in jeopardy by doing that.”
The young woman seemed shocked when Glanville told her she would spend the next 72 hours behind bars. She was handcuffed in front of the 14 defendants and their attorneys before being led away by deputies.
Defense attorney Lester Tate, who is not involved with the case, said while he’s never seen a potential juror sentenced to three days in custody, he can understand the judge’s reasoning given the nature of the trial.
“On its face this seems like a very severe punishment, but it’s different in gang trials because you’re dealing with people against whom retribution could be sought,” said Tate, who has been a lawyer for 35 years and previously served as president of the State Bar of Georgia.
He said the juror likely got a stiffer sentence than she might have had she done the same thing in a divorce proceeding, especially since the judge instructed everyone to put away their phones ahead of time.
The incident is the latest hiccup in a lengthy process that’s been repeatedly slowed by wayward jurors, leaked evidence and even drugs inside the courtroom.
Earlier this year, a potential juror who traveled to the Dominican Republic instead of returning to court was ordered to write a 30-page research paper on the importance of jury service. Another man got in trouble for messaging a reporter about the jury selection process despite being told not to read about the case or discuss it with anyone.
Jury selection was also delayed a full day in January when defendant Kahlieff Adams allegedly walked up to Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffrey Williams, and handed him a prescription painkiller in open court. There have also been dust-ups between Glanville and defense attorneys who were late for court or got up to use the restroom without permission.
Selecting a jury for the lengthy gang trial has proven to be a daunting task, with most saying they can’t afford to miss nearly a year of work to serve on the high-profile case. Many have said they won’t be able to pay for their homes or take care of loved ones if chosen.
The selection process formally began on Jan. 4. Three months later, about 1,200 potential jurors have been summoned but not a single person has been seated.
Prosecutors say the Grammy Award-winning Williams is the leader of a southwest Atlanta gang known as Young Slime Life, or YSL. The state alleges the group is responsible for much of the city’s violence, including targeted shootings and drug deals.
Defense attorneys strongly contest the charges, however, saying YSL stands for Young Stoner Life and is simply the name of Williams’ record label.
The jury hardship process could take at least two more months, with a sixth group of about 300 jurors reporting on April 28 and a seventh group scheduled to report in May.
Eventually, prosecutors and defense attorneys will start asking potential jurors their thoughts on gangs and hip-hop, and whether they feel they can remain impartial at trial.
———
