A key witness in the YSL RICO trial has been arrested for refusing to testify against Young Thug.
Lil Woody Held in Contempt of Court, Arrested After Refusing to Testify Against Young Thug
On Friday (June 7), Kenneth “Lil Woody” Copeland took the witness stand on day 87 of the YSL RICO trial. Copeland, an alleged YSL affiliate who police say has direct information regarding the various crimes Young Thug has been charged with, was scheduled to testify against the Atlanta rapper. However, as Thugger looked on from within the courtroom, Lil Woody invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination as soon as Fulton County prosecutors began their cross-examination. As a result, Judge Ural Glanville held Kenneth Copeland in contempt of court and ordered him to be taken into custody.
When a prosecuting attorney asked Kenneth Copeland his current age, he said in the video below, “I’m grown. I’m an adult.” He was then asked for his age in terms of years, to which he swiftly replied, “I take the fifth.” At that point, Judge Glanville held Lil Woody in contempt and had officers arrest him while he was still on the stand.
Copeland will now spend the weekend in Fulton County jail until court resumes on Monday at 9:00 am. According to Atlanta News First, Judge Glanville told the court he would issue an order to keep the unabiding witness separate from other inmates.
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Key Witness Was Supposed to Have Immunity From Past Crimes for Testifying Against Young Thug
Kenneth Copeland, a multiple-time convicted felon, allegedly first started cooperating on Young Thug back in 2021 when he was interrogated following an arrest for possession of a firearm. Law&Crime Network reports that Copeland implicated Thugger in a murder plot in an attempt to protect himself from legal ramifications. Lil Woody disputes that information.
Prior to pleading the fifth on Friday, Lil Woody was granted immunity by the State of Georgia in exchange for his testimony against the rapper. If he testified, anything Copeland said would not be used against him in any other ongoing legal cases. Before the jury entered the courtroom on day 87 of the trial, Judge Glanville informed the witness that he would be held in contempt of court should he not fulfill his obligation. In the court footage below, Copeland’s attorney told the judge his client had previously been adamant about having no desire to snitch on Young Thug.
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In the videos below, watch Kenneth “Lil Woody” Copeland attempt to get out of testifying against Young Thug, see him being held in contempt for refusing to give his testimony and check out his 2021 interrogation with police.