YSL RICO Trial Witness Tells Judge Testifying Depends on His Mood
After a nearly two-month break, the Young Thug/YSL RICO trial will resume on Monday with prosecution witness Kenneth “Lil Woody” Copeland to take the stand…depending on his mood.
YSL Trial Witness Tells Judge Testifying Will Depend on How He Wakes Up
Last Tuesday (Aug. 6), prosecution witness Kenneth “Lil Woody” Copeland appeared at a hearing, along with his attorney John Melnick on Zoom, to discuss his testimony when the YSL RICO trial reconvenes on Monday (Aug. 12).
In the video below, Judge Paige Reese Whitaker discussed with Copeland regarding his immunity and the potential for invoking the Fifth Amendment. Judge Whitaker asked Copeland if he plans to testify next week. “Depending on how I wake up,” he responded.
If Copeland does agree to testify on Monday, he will be asked to start his testimony over. The jury will receive instructions to disregard his prior statements, including the ones he made about Williams’ involvement in the 2015 drive-by shooting.
If Copeland agrees to testify on Monday, he will be required to start his testimony from the beginning before te delay. The jury will be given specific instructions to disregard his previous statements, including Thug’s involvement in the 2015 drive-by shooting.
Meanwhile, on Aug. 8, Judge Whitaker indicated the possibility of a mistrial if certain jurors express an inability to disregard or forget previously presented evidence, Law&Crime Trials reported. Additionally, the defense team is seeking to have Copeland’s testimony excluded should he choose not to testify on Monday.
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Lil Woody’s Role That Led to Judge Glanville’s Removal, Trial Delay
Judge Whitaker will be the third judge to oversee the long-plagued Young Thug/YSL RICO trial, which will go down as the longest-running criminal trial in Georgia state history. She replaced Judge Shukura Ingram who recused herself in July.
Judge Ingram initially took over for Judge Ural Glanville who was removed from the trial on July 15. Glanville had overseen the case since its commencement but encountered difficulties when Young Thug’s defense team raised concerns about a contentious ex parte meeting he had conducted on June 10.
This meeting involved key prosecution witness Copeland (aka Lil Woody) and the prosecution without the presence of the defense teams. This led to Judge Glanville’s removal and subsequent replacement by Judge Ingram followed by Judge Whitaker.
Now it looks like Copeland will have to testify all over again, that’s if he’s in a good mood on Monday.