YNW Melly refuses to appear in court for a status hearing as he awaits another hearing for a possible bond release later this month.
According to an NBC 6 South Florida report, published on Tuesday (March 31), YNW Melly, born Jamell Demons, was a no-show for a status hearing on Tuesday afternoon in Broward County, Fla. The purpose of the hearing was to schedule a date for motions, including one to alter the terms of the 26-year-old rapper’s pretrial release.
Next up for Melly is a court hearing to determine if he could get release on bond, which is scheduled for April 30.
XXL has reached out to YNW Melly’s attorney, Drew Findling, for comment.
Melly’s recent nonappearance in court comes after prosecutors dropped witness tampering charges against him on Jan. 20, the day his murder retrial was to begin. A total of four charges were dropped, including tampering with a witness, directing activities of a criminal gang, criminal solicitation to commit murder and conspiracy to tamper with a witness on a capital felony.
Melly’s attorneys, Findling and Carol Haughwout, released a statement to XXL regarding prosecutors’ decision to drop the aforementioned charges.
“On behalf of Jamell Demons, we welcome the dismissal of the alleged tampering and gang-related charges in court this morning,” read the statement. “As his newly retained legal team, it became immediately apparent to us that no crimes had occurred. Unfortunately, for 652 days while these charges were pending, the State did not reach the same conclusion until the cusp of trial.”
“We now look forward to seeking Mr. Demons’ release from custody, where he has been held under extraordinarily restrictive conditions for far too long based on premises the State has now abandoned. His release will allow him to fully and meaningfully participate in preparing his defense in the forthcoming proceedings, which we intend to litigate vigorously,” the statement concluded.
Melly has been in jail since 2019 after being charged with the murders of two rappers, YMW Juvy, born Christopher Thomas, Jr., and YNW Sakchaser, born Anthony Williams. His first trial ended in a mistrial in 2023. However, prosecutors decided to retry the case.
YNW Melly’s double-murder retrial is scheduled for January of 2027.
Watch NBC 6 South Florida Report on YNW Melly’s Non-Appearance at a Status Hearing
