Rapper YNW Melly was back in a Broward courtroom Friday as his defense attorneys are seeking to have new prosecutor appointed to his case or have it dismissed altogether as he faces a double murder retrial.
Defense attorneys are seeking to have the Broward County State Attorney's Office removed from the case ahead of the retrial and say there's grounds for dismissal.
The judge said he's considering the motions and will likely rule on them next week.
The motions come as the prosecutor assigned to the case said a fellow prosecutor, who is a potential witness for the defense, misspoke when she questioned the credibility of the lead police detective in the case last year.
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The state has filed a motion that discredits that prosecutor's claim against the detective, but the defense insists the state attorney's office can't try a case when on of its own employees is a witness.
The rapper, whose real name is Jamell Demons, is accused of murdering two of his childhood friends -Chris “YNW Juvy” Thomas and Anthony “YNW Sakchaser” Williams-, in 2018 after a late-night recording session by making it look like a drive-by shooting.
Their stage names all include "YNW" because they belonged to the same hip-hop collective. It stands for "Young New Wave" or another phrase that includes a racial slur.
The first trial started in June 2023, but ended with a hung jury in July. The trial had many controversial moments, including one where Melly blew kisses in the courtroom.
After the judge ruled a mistrial due to the hung jury, Melly's defense team asked the court to remove the state prosecutor after defense attorneys claimed prosecutors didn't reveal that the lead detective in the case had been previously accused of being willing to lie as he gathered evidence.
Demons' first murder trial ended with a 9-3 vote for conviction.
YNW MELLY
Now, the judge has granted a retrial, with a new state prosecutor, and the opening statements were initially rescheduled for January, then reset for February 5th after prosecutors asked for more time to prepare, and now the jury selection is on hold until March, inevitably pushing back opening statements.
This isn´t the first time the rapper has been behind bars, as in late 2015, Melly was arrested for shooting at a group of students near Vero Beach High School, serving several months in prison for aggravated battery and assault.
While incarcerated, he joined the YNW collective and started releasing music with his biggest hit being called "Murder on my Mind"
His music videos has since amassed millions of views on Youtube, and even had a song featuring Kanye West.
At 24, Demons has lived one-quarter of his life behind bars.
The rapper remains behind bars without bond.
