YNW Melly’s federal lawsuit, which sought to challenge his jail conditions and trial delays, was dismissed, keeping him behind bars.
YNW Melly lost his legal push to get out of jail after a Florida federal judge rejected his claims that he’s being unlawfully held while awaiting retrial in a double murder case.
On Tuesday (August 26), U.S. Magistrate Judge Melissa Damian dismissed the rapper’s habeas corpus petition, ruling that he must go through the state court system before seeking federal relief.
The decision keeps him incarcerated in the Broward County Jail, where he has been held since 2019.
YNW Melly argued that his constitutional rights were being violated by jail officials who allegedly placed him in extended isolation, restricted contact with his attorneys and family, and delayed his trial for years.
He claimed these conditions amounted to unlawful detention.
However, Judge Damian ruled that YNW Melly failed to exhaust all available state-level remedies before seeking relief in federal court.
She also cited the Younger abstention doctrine, which prevents federal courts from interfering in active state criminal cases unless there’s clear evidence of bad faith or irreparable harm.
The ruling was issued “without prejudice,” meaning YNW Melly can refile his petition later if he follows the proper legal steps in state court.
YNW Melly is awaiting a retrial for the 2018 killings of Christopher Thomas Jr. (known as YNW Juvy) and Anthony Williams (YNW Sakchaser), both close friends and collaborators.
Prosecutors allege that Melly shot them inside a car and then staged the scene to look like a drive-by. He has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder.
His first trial ended in a mistrial in July 2023 after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict.
If that timeline holds, a new trial date has been pushed back to January 2027, meaning YNW Melly will have spent over eight years in custody without a conviction.
He also faces separate charges for alleged witness tampering while in jail.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty under Florida’s new law that allows an 8-4 jury vote for capital punishment.
Key evidence in the case includes cellphone data, surveillance footage, and forensic analysis, which prosecutors say places YNW Melly at the scene.
His defense argues he was asleep during the murders and that someone else used his phone.
The court’s ruling means YNW Melly remains in jail as his legal team continues to fight both cases in state court.
His retrial is currently scheduled for January 2027.
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