It has been nearly two years since the first murder trial against YNW Melly ended in a mistrial, restarting the proceedings from the beginning. The rapper was charged with murder in 2019; prosecutors allege that Melly shot and killed two members of his YNW collective, staging the crime scene to make himself look like the sole survivor of a drive-by shooting.
Today, proceedings for the second attempt at the trial were postponed, according to local news. Broward County Judge Martin Fein offered Melly the opportunity to reconsider his representation, as his defense attorney, Ravon Liberty, has come under investigation for potential witness tampering. Melly — whose real name is Jamell Demons — now has until February 18 to decide whether to continue with Liberty or find a new attorney. As Judge Fein pointed out, Melly has been in jail for 2,159 days, so finding a new lawyer could considerably extend his stay. “The only other question Mr. Demons has to decide does he want to go forward with her, or does he want conflict-free counsel which he is certainly entitled to,” he said. However, if it’s found Liberty is responsible for witness tampering, that could happen anyway. The trial is set to begin in September.