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.
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 motion centers on a 20-minute documentary about Melly's life and rise to fame, which was filmed just before the double murder he is accused of.
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The video often shows Melly, holding a weapon and in the last few seconds mentions the deaths of Thomas and Williams.
The defense is trying to get parts of the documentary video removed from evidence so the jury in his second double murder trial will never see it.
The defense says the video is hearsay, but the state says it proves Demons was at the scene of the crime.
Last week, defense attorneys were seeking to have the Broward County State Attorney's Office removed from the case ahead of the retrial and said there's grounds for dismissal.
The judge said he's considering the motions and will likely rule on them this week.
Those motions came 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.
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 Feb. 5 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 have 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.
