On Monday, the trial of rapper YNW Melly entered its fourth week, with the judge denying the defense’s motion for mistrial despite a juror being hospitalized.
YNW Melly, whose real name is Jamell Demons, is facing first-degree murder charges in the shooting deaths of two of his friends, aspiring rappers Anthony Williams and Christopher Thomas Jr., in 2018. Melly, who pleaded not guilty, is being held without bond in Broward County, Florida.
The trial had already been delayed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and this latest development further prolongs the proceedings. Defense attorneys had argued for a mistrial after a juror was hospitalized but Judge Kenneth Gottlieb denied the motion in a virtual hearing on Monday.
“The trial will proceed,” Judge Gottlieb said, acknowledging the challenges of COVID-19 but adding that the court would have to continue regardless. “We can’t just stop our lives.”
The juror’s condition has not been revealed, but the court has said that there are still enough jurors to move forward with the trial. The defense has argued that the juror’s absence creates a constitutional issue because Melly may be tried by less than the full panel of jurors.
Melly’s case has garnered national attention due to his rising popularity as a rapper prior to his arrest, as well as the unusual circumstances surrounding the case. Melly has claimed that his friends were killed in a drive-by shooting and that he was also shot but survived, but prosecutors allege that Melly and his co-defendant, Cortlen Henry, staged the crime scene to make it look like a drive-by shooting.
Henry also faces first-degree murder charges in the case and is being tried separately.
The trial is expected to continue this week with testimony from law enforcement officials and forensic experts. If convicted, Melly could face the death penalty.