Rapper YNW Melly was back in court Friday for a motions hearing as his defense attorneys seek to have a promotional video removed from evidence as he faces a double murder retrial. NBC6’s Marissa Bagg reports
Rapper YNW Melly attended a hearing Friday as his double murder retrial in Broward remains on hold.
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.
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The first trial against Melly ended in a mistrial last summer.
A judge's ruling in January to suppress a promotional video about Melly's life from evidence prompted prosecutors to file an appeal, and now the entire case is delayed until that appeal goes through the appellate courts, which could take months.
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Friday's hearing was held after Melly's attorneys asked to discuss outstanding motions in the case. They want to proceed with discovery, including taking depositions.
But prosecutors claimed the hearing shouldn't be held since the appeals court had issued a stay in the proceedings.
Judge John J. Murphy III ruled in January that the jury should not see the 20-minute documentary about Melly's life and rise to fame, which was filmed just before the double murder. The video often shows Melly holding a weapon. In the last few seconds, it mentions the deaths of Thomas and Williams.
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The defense argued the video is hearsay — but the state says it proves Melly was at the scene of the crime.
Because the appeal is from an order granting a motion to suppress evidence, the stay is automatic, the state argued Friday.
They said the judge does not have the authority to allow discovery to proceed while the case is on appeal.
The defense said the rules do not require a blanket stay on all issues and said it wants to explore, among other things, the broadness of a search warrant for text messages from 2018.
After brief argument from both sides, Judge Murphy made no decision, taking it under advisement.
