Rapper YNW Melly was in court on Tuesday as his lawyers tried to convince a judge to issue him a bond so he can get out of jail as he awaits his double murder re-trial.
Rapper YNW Melly was in a Broward courtroom on Tuesday as his lawyers tried to convince a judge to issue him a bond so he can get out of jail as he awaits his double murder re-trial.
Attorneys for Melly, whose real name is Jamell Demons, filed a motion for pre-trial release in March. They alleged that he was being abused at the hands of the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, claiming the department denied him opportunities to speak to his family and one of his lawyers.
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The rapper is accused of shooting Christopher Thomas Jr and Anthony Williams to death in October of 2018. Both victims were members of the YNW Collective along with Demons.
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His first trial ended in a mistrial in July 2023. Demons has been in custody since his arrest in 2019, more than 2,000 days.
Four months before his retrial is set to begin, Demons asked Judge Martin Fein to issue him a bond, something that is rare for someone facing two capital murder charges
The defense offered a number of concessions if the rapper was allowed to await trial at home.
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Attorneys for Demons assured Judge Fein that if allowed to bond out of custody, Demons would be on house arrest, wear an ankle monitor tracked by law enforcement and hire private security to watch him 24 hours per day.
“They would be reporting if there was any infractions by Mr. Demons, they would be reporting directly to myself, to the legal team, the state attorney and to the court,” said lead defense attorney Raven Liberty. “So it would be basically have your own deputy, paid deputy, with him.”
The attorneys said his record label would be the one to post bond if it were granted by the judge, and said he would go on house arrest. They continued that he would live with family, wear an ankle monitor so law enforcement could track him and that he would have three security guards on him 24/7 to protect him.
Prosecutors argued that the capital murder allegations against him, along with a pending tampering with a witness case, should prevent him from receiving a bond. They also cited ballistic evidence and cell phone records they said puts Demons at the scene of the crime.
“It’s already been established that he presents a danger to the community, but not only that, he intended to tamper with witnesses while in custody,” said Asst. State Attorney Justin Griffiths.
An attorney on behalf of the family of one of the victims, Anthony Williams, addressed the judge ahead of the hearing, to say the family objects to any pre-trial release.
Every available seat in the courtroom was taken by the rapper's family and friends on Tuesday.
"We are really hopeful today that he’s going to get a bond and be able to come home," his mother, Jamie Demons-King, said. "He’s been through a lot these last six years in jail, three years with no phone calls, no visitation. The only time I do see him is in the courtroom and we aren’t able to conversate with each other.”
Demons has asked multiple times for a judge to issue him a bond over the last six years. Each request has been denied.
Defense attorneys hope his 2023 mistrial in the case will sway the judge, since a jury was not able to come to a unanimous verdict.
The judge is expected to rule on this request for bond in the coming days.
Demons' second double murder trial is scheduled to begin on September 10th. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.
