The behind-the-bench drama at the YSL racketeering trial continued Wednesday as the judge who replaced the judge who was removed has also recused herself from the proceedings.
Judge Shakura L. Ingram — who replaced Judge Ural Glanville on the bench after he was removed Monday — recused herself Wednesday, citing her own connection to a courthouse deputy who was arrested in 2023 for smuggling contraband to YSL defendant Christian Eppinger, Billboard reports.
“Because this court’s former assigned deputy could be called as a witness in any future proceedings in this case, the court may be called upon to assess this deputy’s credibility, or rule on matters related to her criminal prosecution,” Ingram wrote in her decision to recuse herself. “This may undermine the public’s confidence in the impartiality of the proceedings.”
She added, “The clerk of this court is directed to reassign this criminal action to another judge.”
On Monday, after a weeks-long attempt to have the judge removed from Young Thug’s RICO trial, Glanville was recused due to a secret meeting involving the judge, prosecutors, and a key state witness.
Superior Court Judge Rachel Krause granted Glanville’s removal in a ruling following motions to recuse the judge brought by lawyers for Young Thug (real name Jeffery Williams) and one of the rapper’s co-defendants, Deamonte “Yak Gotti” Kendrick.
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“This Court has no doubt that Judge Glanville can and would continue presiding fairly over this matter if the recusal motions were denied, but the ‘necessity of preserving the public’s confidence in the judicial system’ weighs in favor of excusing Judge Glanville from further handling of this case,” Judge Krause wrote.
Soon after, Ingram was assigned as the new judge on the RICO case, but two days later, she, too, was recused. When a new judge is assigned, they’ll likely weigh attempts by YSL’s defense team to have the already-lengthy trial—it began in January 2023 and spent 10 months alone on jury selection—declared a mistrial.
