Kenneth "Lil Woody" Copeland has fired his lawyer while taking the stand in Young Thug's YSL RICO case, Law & Crime reports.
On Tuesday, Copeland took the stand, and at one point during the hearing, Judge Glanville stated there was an issue that needed to be solved with Copeland's stand-in attorney, Miss Bumpass. According to Law & Crime managing editor Cathy Russon, Judge Glanville wanted to know if Bumpass told Thug's lawyer, Brian Steel, about the ex parte meeting on Monday morning.
Bumpass requested she be removed as counsel in the case and Copeland supported her by telling Judge Glanville, "she fired," addingt that he didn't "want her." However, Judge Glanville decided to keep Bumpass in the courtroom as she's been present through Copeland's time testifying.
Bumpass told the judge that she had been fired before Copeland began testifying and asked to approach the bench with the state but was denied. Judge Glanville then asked her what needed to be said, and Bumpass said she didn't want to say it in open court. Glanville reluctantly let her and the state approach the bench.
Later, Bumpass provided Glanville with a signed order requesting that she withdraw from representing Copeland in the ongoing RICO trial. Glanville accepted the request but informed Bumpass that she would have to appear in court on June 25 under an order to show cause.
Copeland was arrested for contempt in court on Friday after calling for his Fifth Amendment right to avoid self-incrimination and to not testify against Young Thug. Steel asked for a mistrial following the arrest, but Judge Glanville denied the request.
Steel was also arrested for contempt on Monday after he refused to tell Judge Glanville how he got information from the alleged ex parte meeting held right before the case. Footage from the arrest showed Steel taking his blazer off after Glanville ordered a deputy to "take Mr. Steel into custody." Steel was given 20 days behind bars, to be served on weekends.
