The judge wants YNW Melly to confirm if he’s sticking with his current attorneys for his second murder trial.
During a Tuesday (Jan. 7) hearing, Broward Circuit Judge Martin Fein had the jailed rapper testify under oath about his legal representation. This happened during day two of an “all pending motions” session – where attorneys clear up any outstanding issues that could delay the trial.
The retrial’s been pushed to September, with another ‘all pending motions’ hearing scheduled for Feb. 18, thanks to all the twists and turns in the case.
Adding to the mess, Raven Liberty, one of his main defense lawyers, is being investigated for tampering. His defense team’s asking the judge for time to look into these claims against Liberty.
This prompted Judge Fein to tell the 25-year-old rapper he needs to decide if Liberty’s investigation creates a conflict – since she might have to choose between defending herself and protecting her client’s interests.
“You’ve got to make up your mind about who you want representing you,” Fein told him.
“Your trial’s set for Sept. 10th. That’s coming up quick, you get that?” Fein pressed. “This case is going to trial September 10th. If you switch lawyers now, your new team’s only got about seven months to prep for a capital case.”
When Fein asked if Melly had any questions, he talked with one of his lawyers before saying no.
Last November, Melly sued the Broward Sheriff’s Office, claiming “cruel” jail treatment. He says they’re “illegally holding him in conditions that violate” multiple constitutional amendments and he hasn’t spoken to family in three years.
“The way Broward Detention is treating him is so inhumane, it calls for his immediate release from pretrial detention, given how little regard they’ve shown for his basic human dignity and Right to Counsel,” the lawsuit states.
Melly’s facing charges for allegedly plotting the murders of his friends and fellow artists Chris “YNW Juvy” Thomas and Anthony “YNW Sakchaser” Williams back in 2018. Prosecutors say he made the double murder look like a drive-by shooting.
