YNW Melly has been behind bars for several years now. He's facing murder charges related to the 2019 deaths of his associates, YNW Juvy and YNW SakChaser. The rapper went on trial back in June of 2023. Ultimately, the judge declared a mistrial after the jury failed to come to a unanimous decision. His retrial is upcoming, but unfortunately, the case has been subject to yet another delay.
According to a new tweet by legal reporter Meghann Cuniff, the motion hearing in the case was set to officially begin today (January 6). It was postponed, however, as his lawyer is currently being investigated for alleged witness tampering. Reportedly, other lawyers claim he needs more information before deciding whether or not he still wants her on his case. "Mr. Demons has to make an informed decision about who he wants his lawyers. He's now been sitting in our jail for 2,159 days," the judge explained.
Read More: YNW Melly Could Reportedly Be Released Soon Unless Officials Prove Bond Shouldn’t Be Granted
YNW Melly Case Delayed Once Again
For now, it remains unclear exactly when the motion hearing will occur. This latest development comes just a few weeks after Melly's attorney Michael A. Pizzi Jr filed a 12-page lawsuit against the Broward Sheriff's Office on his behalf. In it, he alleges that the 25-year-old is dealing with inhumane conditions in jail including solitary confinement, communication restrictions, and more. "These restrictions are not related to any legitimate security concerns and are instead punitive measures designed to deteriorate Melly’s mental health and impede his ability to prepare for his trial,” Pizzi Jr. alleges. “No non-black inmates are subjected to such punitive restrictions.”
“The emotional and psychological toll of his prolonged isolation is enormous,” he also alleges in the suit. “The ongoing interference with his right to counsel is a blatant violation of his constitutional rights.” More specifically, Pizzi Jr. alleged that all of this violated Melly's First, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendment rights and demanded that he be released from jail immediately.
