YNW Melly Trial: Motion Filed Against Lead Detective Amid Excessive Force Investigation

The lead detective in the double murder case of YNW Melly is now the subject of a motion from the rapper's legal team. “(The defense team) has recently learned that the lead detective, Detective M. Moretti, is under investigation and that an Assistant State Attorney has given a statement concerning an incident involving excessive force used by him against a potential witness in this case,” wrote attorney Stuart Adelstein.

As the motion states, Detective Moretti is reportedly under investigation for using "excessive force" against a witness in Melly's case. The defense is asking that all materials in that investigation be turned over to them for review. Moretti is a 20-year veteran of the Miramar Police Department and has no previous instances of administrative discipline on his record. A date for a hearing on the motion has not been announced. The news was originally reported by Bryson "Boom" Paul, whose tireless work has been crucial to the coverage of this case.

Rough Week In YNW Melly Trial

This news caps off another tough week for Melly and his family. A day before the motion was filed on August 23, Melly's mother Jamie made some shocking claims. "I woke up this morning just wanting to talk to my son and hear his voice. Jamel has not had phone calls in almost a year no visits and is on 23/1 lockdown. This is mental torture. Even the Parkland school shooter had phone calls and visits," she wrote on Twitter.

Melly's re-trial is due to begin in October. Prosecutors are aggressively pushing for the death penalty. In a harsh ruling against Melly, Judge Murphy ruled that the death penalty could be applied in an 8-4 jury ruling, as opposed to a unanimous one. Melly's trial will begin days after that of his alleged co-conspirator, YNW Bortlen. It will be interesting to see how the two trials overlap as they occur at the same time. This is a developing story and we'll have any updates as and when they emerge.

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