YNW Melly’s label will post bond to free rapper if granted
‘Mama Cry’ rhymer YNW Melly recently had a court hearing in a Broward County courtroom during which his lawyers tried to convince the presiding judge to give him bond so he can remain out of jail while he awaits his trial for double murder.
The emcee’s legal team filed a motion in March for Melly to be given bond and insisted that the Sheriff’s Office is abusing its power by denying him the opportunity to speak to his family and even his lawyers.
The Florida rapper has been incarcerated for years as he faces trial for double murder. In 2019, Melly was arrested and charged with first-degree murder following the killing of his collaborators, YNW Sakchaser and YNW Juvy, in 2018.
Melly could face the death penalty if found guilty.
The emcee’s first federal trial ended in a mistrial in 2023, and he has remained behind bars since his arrest in 2019. This means he has been incarcerated for more than 2,000 days, and his retrial isn’t until September. As such, his lawyers claim that he has been in jail too long, considering he hasn’t been convicted yet.
The rapper’s attorneys insisted in their motion that if granted bond he would remain on house arrest with an ankle monitor tracked by law enforcement and security watching him every hour of the day, writing, “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, so it would be basically have your own deputy, paid deputy, with him.”
Melly’s lead defence attorney, Raven Liberty, even suggested that his record label would post bond if it were granted. The prosecution has argued that the capital murder allegations against him should prevent him from receiving a bond. The Assistant State Attorney, Justin Griffiths, has accused the lyricist of being a danger, telling the defence, “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.” As such, it’s unlikely he will get bond.