Who will the new prosecutor be in the YNW Melly murder case? Where things stand
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The double murder trial of rapper YNW Melly
The double murder trial of rapper YNW Melly, whose legal name is Jamell Demons, has had many twists and turns since the South Florida artist was accused of killing his childhood best friends Anthony Williams and Christopher Thomas Jr. in 2019.
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A new prosecutor will have to appear in court by Tuesday in YNW Melly’s double murder case.
Melly, his attorneys and prosecutors Steven Klinger and Nicole Bloom attended a hearing Friday, a day after Broward Circuit Court Judge John Murphy removed lead prosecutor Kristine Bradley from the rapper’s case “out of an abundance of caution.”
Murphy said he would rule on the defense’s motion to dismiss the case at a later time.
READ MORE: Prosecutor removed from the YNW Melly murder case days before retrial. What happened?
Klinger told Murphy the State Attorney’s Office is “working ... nonstop” to find a new prosecutor and should have a decision by the end of Friday or Monday.
“This is a speedy trial, where that’s an issue,” Murphy said.
The case should begin by Oct. 20. Klinger proposed swearing in a jury panel next week to give the new prosecutor an opportunity to catch up — and the defense to question new witnesses. Defense attorney Raven Liberty didn’t look convinced, even shaking her head in disapproval.
“I’ll take less time,” Liberty said.
What else happened?
At Friday’s hearing, defense attorney Daniel Aaronson argued that a retrial violates Melly’s double jeopardy as Bradley didn’t share Brady material related to the incident with a Miramar police detective during the first trial.
Under Florida law, prosecutors are required to disclose any information that may be favorable to the defense. The discovery of Brady violations, in some cases, have even led to overturned convictions.
Klinger, however, said the normal remedy for a Brady violation is a new trial.
Why was Bradley removed?
Murphy’s decision to oust Bradley was linked to allegations of wrongdoing by Miramar Police Detective Mark Moretti in an October 2022 incident. Michelle Boutros, a Broward prosecutor of 20 years assigned to the Public Corruption Unit, testified in court last week about Moretti’s alleged misconduct.
READ MORE: Prosecutor accused detective in YNW Melly case of lying. She’s now a defense witness
“Even though it is far from conclusive, the Court is sufficiently concerned about whether Ms. Bradley has departed from her role as a zealous advocate for the State and is now personally invested in the credibility determinations of Detective Moretti and Ms. Boutros and the outcome of the trial,” Murphy said.
Melly, 24, whose real name is Jamell Demons, is accused of gunning down his childhood friends Anthony Williams and Christopher Thomas Jr. in a drive-by cover-up after spending the night of Oct. 26, 2018, at a Fort Lauderdale recording studio. Williams and Thomas, both aspiring rappers with the YNW collective, were known as YNW Sakchaser and YNW Juvy, respectively.
Melly is among the first defendants to go to trial after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law to lower the threshold for a death sentence to an 8-4 jury vote, from the previous requirement for a unanimous vote.
This story was originally published October 13, 2023 at 12:38 PM.
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