Another day, anther wild motion in the YSL RICO trial. The Georgia Supreme Court recently suspended attorney Jonathan Reuven Melnick for six months due to conduct unrelated to the ongoing YSL RICO trial. Huh, what, wow.
As a result, witness Kenneth Copeland, also known as Lil’ Woody, appeared in court without his attorney on Tuesday. Like, no lawyer at all.
During his testimony, Copeland repeatedly responded to Assistant District Attorney Simone Hylton with the phrase, “I don’t recall.”
Get this, Melnick’s suspension was confirmed by a Georgia Supreme Court decision released on Tuesday morning. The court order stated, “Accordingly, it is hereby ordered that Jonathan R. Melnick is suspended from the practice of law in Georgia for six months. The suspension based on this opinion will take effect as of the date this opinion is issued and will expire by its own terms six months later.” The State Bar of Georgia’s directory lists Jonathan Melnick as suspended for “non-compliance” with Continuing Legal Education rules, rendering him ineligible to practice law in the state.
So what’s interesting, after spending most of the morning on the stand, Copeland refused to continue testifying upon learning of Melnick’s suspension, insisting on having legal representation present. Makes sense, right?
Judge Whitaker, probably as frustrated as everyone else, responded by dismissing the jury for recess and committed to securing a public defender for Copeland in Melnick’s absence. When the court reconvened, Whitaker announced that the appointed attorney would not be available until the next day, meaning Copeland’s testimony could not proceed.
So the jury was dismissed until Wednesday morning. Judge Whitaker instructed the prosecution to have another witness ready in case “things go a different direction.” This case is insane.
The post YSL RICO Trial: Lil’ Woody’s Testimony on Pause After His Attorney is Suspended first appeared on The Source.
The post YSL RICO Trial: Lil’ Woody’s Testimony on Pause After His Attorney is Suspended appeared first on The Source.