As he faces an upcoming double murder retrial, rapper YNW Melly was back in court Tuesday with his lead defense attorney who is under investigation by the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
During Tuesday's hearing, the judge in Melly’s double murder case gave him a deadline to decide whether he wants new lawyers.
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WATCH HEREThe defense wants to know as much as they can about BSO’s investigation into attorney Ravon Liberty. Up until this point, the state has been tight-lipped about what the investigation entails.
Melly, whose real name is Jamell Demons, whispered with Liberty in court for the first time after learning she is under investigation by BSO.
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The concern for the defense is whether Demons will see the probe as a conflict of interest for Liberty, and want to hire new counsel.
It’s a big decision for Demons, since his case is a capital murder case. He’s charged with killing two longtime friends back in 2018. If convicted he could face the death penalty.
The judge spoke directly to Demons to make sure he understands the gravity of the situation.
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"Your case is set for trial Sept 10th. That’s not that far away, you understand that? Your case is going to go to trial on September 10th," said Judge Martin Fein. "If you change lawyers, you’re going to have a group of lawyers in place that are going to have like seven months to prepare a capital case."
Fein was adamant that he doesn’t want to delay Demons' retrial. Demons' first double murder trial ended in a mistrial in July of 2023.
The judge gave Demons until February 18th to decide if he wants to change attorneys.
