ATLANTA -- Jurors in the long-running racketeering and gang prosecution against rapper Young Thug and others returned to an Atlanta courtroom Monday after an eight-week pause to find a new judge on the bench.

The jury was already on a break in early July when the trial was halted to allow a judge to determine whether the judge overseeing the case should be removed. Two weeks later, Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Ural Glanville was removed from the case after two defendants requested his removal, citing a meeting the judge held with prosecutors and a state witness.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker was assigned to oversee the case. After she denied motions for a mistrial, the trial resumed Monday with Kenneth Copeland returning to the witness stand, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported .

Young Thug, a Grammy winner whose real name is Jeffery Williams, was indicted two years ago in a broad indictment accusing him and over two dozen others of conspiring to violate Georgia’s anti-racketeering law. He is also facing charges of gang, drug, and gun crimes.

He is being tried along with five other people who were indicted with him.

Brian Steel, a lawyer representing Young Thug, has maintained that his client is innocent and is seeking to clear his name through a fair trial.

Lawyers for Young Thug and co-defendant Deamonte Kendrick had filed motions requesting Glanville’s recusal. They argued that the judge had a meeting with prosecutors and prosecution witness Copeland where defendants and defense attorneys were not present. The defense attorneys claimed that the meeting was “improper” and that the judge and prosecutors had attempted to influence the witness to testify.

Glanville's colleague, Judge Rachel Krause, did not criticize Glanville for holding the meeting but suggested that he should be removed from the case to maintain public trust in the judicial system.

Copeland, who received immunity from prosecution, agreed to return to the witness stand Monday after Whitaker informed him he could testify or remain incarcerated until the trial concludes, the Journal-Constitution reported . Copeland repeatedly stated he couldn't recall events from years past, acknowledged lying to law enforcement and said he mentioned Young Thug's name to police to exonerate himself.