Young Dolph Murder Suspect Gets New Lawyer Mid-Trial

BYGabriel Bras Nevares1194 Views
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The defendant came without legal counsel for a hearing on April 20, and the judge believes some conflict might have occurred.

The man accused of putting out a hit out on Young Dolph is reportedly getting a new lawyer in the middle of his trial. Moreover, AllHipHop reports that Hernandez Govan showed up to court without his lawyer William Massey and therefore without representation, according to WREG. Furthermore, Masey represented Govan for almost half a year before this incident seemed to throw a wrench into things. Lee Coffee, the presiding judge, stated that his absence suggested "that some sort of conflict had arisen.  I don’t know the nature of it." Still, it seems like the court found a quick, albeit imperfect solution.

After this occurred in the trial of Young Dolph's murder, the court appointed attorney Manny Arora to represent Govan. However, he was not in the courtroom given that he is licensed to work in Tennessee, not where the case is located. To sidestep this, local lawyer Handel Durham Jr. will take over in-person counsel. Meanwhile, prosecutors said the new team will have to "get up to speed" to not delay or obstruct the case any further. Also, prosecutor Paul Hagerman added that "he may already be up to speed and he has all of the discovery."

Young Dolph Murder Suspect's Lawyer Seemingly Abandons Him

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 9: Young Dolph onstage during day 1 of 2021 ONE Musicfest at Centennial Olympic Park on October 9, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage/Getty Images)

To elaborate, Govan allegedly hired Justin Johnson and Cornelius Smith to target Young Dolph, and now faces conspiracy charges for first-degree murder. Unfortunately, law enforcement either doesn't know or hasn't revealed the motivation for the tragic attack. Aside from the trial, the hip-hop world and the community at large continue to honor the Memphis MC and preserve his legacy. For example, a pop-up museum commemorating his memory recently hit various U.S. cities.

Also, Key Glock recently reflected on signing with the "100 Shots" rapper in an Esquire interview. "It really just happened out of the blue,” he remarked “It wasn’t even a plan. I got into some trouble. I got incarcerated. And then close to the time for me to come home, my auntie was married to Young Dolph’s uncle. She told him, ‘You know, Key doing his thing… He just reached out to me and it went from there. They always let me do me, let me be me. No matter what it was. Music or just everything in life. From my first song, I just had so much confidence in myself. I don’t know if they were gassing me up or not, but to me, I was like, 'Oh yeah, this song hard.'" For the latest on Young Dolph, stay posted on HNHH.

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About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a music and pop culture news writer for HotNewHipHop. He started in 2022 as a weekend writer and, since joining the team full-time, has developed a strong knowledge in hip-hop news and releases. Whether it’s regular coverage or occasional interviews and album reviews, he continues to search for the most relevant news for his audience and find the best new releases in the genre. What excites him the most is finding pop culture stories of interest, as well as a deeper passion for the art form of hip-hop and its contemporary output. Specifically, Gabriel enjoys the fringes of rap music: the experimental, boundary-pushing, and raw alternatives to the mainstream sound. As a proud native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he also stays up-to-date with the archipelago’s local scene and its biggest musical exponents in reggaetón, salsa, indie, and beyond. Before working at HotNewHipHop, Gabriel produced multiple short documentaries, artist interviews, venue spotlights, and audio podcasts on a variety of genres and musical figures. Hardcore punk and Go-go music defined much of his coverage during his time at the George Washington University in D.C. His favorite hip-hop artists working today are Tyler, The Creator, Boldy James, JPEGMAFIA, and Earl Sweatshirt.