A major witness in the state’s case against Atlanta-rapper Young Thug and five of his alleged associates was taken into custody after Judge Ural Glanville held him in contempt of court for refusing to testify.
Kenneth Copeland, also known as Lil Woody, was subpoenaed to testify Friday morning. Before the jury was brought out, Copeland’s attorney John Melnick told Glanville that Copeland did not wish to cooperate or testify and planned to exercise his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination.
Glanville called Copeland to the stand to explain to him that the Fulton County DA had granted him immunity for his testimony. Glanville warned Copeland that if he didn’t testify, he would be held in contempt.
“The immunity has been signed so you are required to testify. If you don’t testify, the state is probably going to ask me to jail you and I’m probably going to do that,” Glanville told Copeland.
Credit: Jason Getz
Credit: Jason Getz
Copeland told Glanville that he was going to testify.
After a lunch break, Copeland took the stand. ADA Simone Hylton began to question Copeland at that time:
Hylton: Do you want to be here?
Copeland: I’m here.
Hylton: Let me ask you some questions, how old are you?
Copeland: Grown.
Hylton: What does grown mean?
Copeland: I’m an adult.
Hylton: When you say you are an adult, what number in years are you?
Copeland: I plea the Fifth.
Glanville dismissed the jury and ordered deputies to take Copeland into custody.
“Mr. Copeland, given the fact you have invoked your Fifth Amendment privilege but the state has already given you immunity…this court holds you in willful contempt and we’ll see you on Monday,” Glanville told Copeland.
Tempers flared after Chief Deputy DA Adriane Love questioned whose interest Melnick was representing.
Melnick told Glanville that nobody from the DA’s office had contacted him about Copeland since June 2023, even though they knew he was Copeland’s attorney of record.
“They’ve put us in this position, where at the last minute, I’m trying to advise him, as best I can, what I think it’s best for him,” Melnick told Glanville
Credit: Jason Getz
Credit: Jason Getz
Melnick then took exception to Love’s allegation.
“I owe nothing to anybody over here. I owe nothing to anybody at any of these tables. I don’t, candidly and no offense, care what happens with their cases,” Melnick said. “The only thing I care about is what happens to Kenneth Copeland. For an assertion to be made that I or Mr. Copeland are somehow being influenced by someone over here is absolutely ridiculous, I take great offense to it.”
Melnick would later say that he plans to report Love to the State Bar of Georgia for contacting Copeland, knowing he is represented by counsel.
Hylton told the court that they subpoenaed Copeland last Friday and he told prosecutors that Melnick was not his attorney. It wasn’t until an email sent Thursday evening that they were made aware that Melnick represented Copeland.
Melnick told Glanville he won’t be able to appear on Monday but advised that another attorney will appear on behalf of him to represent Copeland. He also told Glanville that Copeland intends to exercise his Fifth Amendment privilege on Monday again.
Tempers also flared between Love and Young Thug’s attorney Brian Steel. Glanville simply reminded both that they have professional obligations and should be professional toward each other.
Copeland, a YSL associate, is a key witness in the state’s case. His leaked interrogation video showed him speaking to Atlanta for nearly four hours offering to provide information about their yearslong gang investigation in exchange for leniency.
Copeland is mentioned in the indictment, but wasn’t among the 28 alleged YSL associates charged. Copeland will be called to testify on Monday but it’s expected to be taken back to jail after exercising his Fifth Amendment right.
Love asked for Copeland to be held in jail until the end of trial if he refuses to testify.
Jury selection began on Jan. 4, 2023; opening statements followed more than 10 months later, on Nov. 27. Repeated delays, juror problems and time off has resulted in just over 85 days of actual proceedings, some conducted outside the jury’s presence. Out of around 200 witnesses, less than 80 have been called to testify.
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