Fani Willis' Office Gets Into Shouting Match With Judge: 'Have a Seat!'

A lead prosecutor from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' office got into a shouting match with the judge presiding over the YSL trial involving rapper Young Thug.

Assistant District Attorney Adriane Love had a heated exchange with Judge Ural Glanville on Wednesday afternoon after the judge sided with the defense and ruled that the evidence Love wanted to introduce would be excluded.

As Love began vocalizing her frustrations with the ruling, Glanville told her, "Well then you all should have gotten yourself together beforehand," before telling the court to summon the jury. The judge then turned back to Love, saying, "Have a seat, madam. Have a seat. You better exclude that and next time, make sure you're prepared."

Before Love could begin her objections, Glanville cut her off, telling the prosecutor, "I'm not going to do this anymore, I'm just not. We are starting right now."

Love is the lead prosecutor in the RICO case against Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffrey Williams, and 27 others. Willis announced the sweeping indictment in May 2022, in which she accuses Williams of being the kingpin of Young Slime Life (YSL), an Atlanta-based street gang affiliated with the Bloods gang.

The trial has dragged out since November and is expected to go well into 2024. It has been marked by a series of tense exchanges in the courtroom, including one in which a state witness told the court that he'd rather go back to prison than testify in the case.

Last month, Glanville instructed both Love and defense attorney Doug Weinstein to "take it down a notch."

Love had argued that the prosecution should be allowed to show a police interrogation video involving one of the defendants, but Glanville ultimately sided with the defense during the March dispute.

"You continue to engage in this pattern of behavior, you don't want to accept my ruling, and I know you're trying to be an advocate, but at some point just stop," the judge warned Love. "Just stop, I made my ruling."

On Wednesday, Love tried to tell Glanville that the district attorney's office made earlier efforts to discuss the evidence in question with the defense, but the judge simply responded by instructing her to file a motion to get the matter before him. She continued to yell back, speaking over him and telling him that the evidence was "not inadmissible."

"Oh it's going to be inadmissible right now," Glanville replied. "I am not going to have any more discussion about this, madam."

"Judge, we talked to them this morning about that! And attempted I talked to them earlier this week!" Love shouted. "Your honor, so the court punishes the state because the defense—"

"I'm not punishing anybody," the judge interrupted. "But prior preparation prevents poor performance."

"We prepared, judge! That's why I sent them what I sent them last week! A whole week and a half ago! Two weeks, your honor!" Love yelled before Glanville told her the jury was coming in and asked her to take her seat.