In the YNW Melly double murder case, a new judge scheduled the retrial for September 10, 2025, on Monday morning (July 8).
As the retrial awaited the decision by the Florida Supreme Court in a case brought by the prosecution to the Fourth District Court of Appeals, Judge Martin S. Fein, the newly appointed judge in the YNW Melly trial, “listed” the new start date on the court calendar during a hearing to set a new date at the Broward County courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. And with Judge Fein presiding, YNW Melly, real name Jamell Demons, and his co-defendant and fellow YNW group member YNW Bortlen, real name Cortlen Henry, appeared in court together for the first time to discuss scheduling in their criminal and civil cases centered around the 2018 shooting deaths of best friends and collaborators YNW Juvy, real name Christopher Thomas Jr, and YNW Sakchaser, real name Anthony Williams.
On Monday afternoon, Melly’s mother, Jamie King, broke the news of the listed start date on her Instagram account. “Just trying to give everyone a quick update on what happened today in court,” she began. “Free Melly til he’s free. He’s coming home, guys—just patience. So, we did have court today; him and Bort, they both had court. So, basically, the judge put a new trial date in for September 10, 2025. Please make it make sense.”
As well as sharing the new date, King provided an update on the appeal requested by the prosecution in FDCA on the previously decided Motions to Suppress 1-13 by the trial’s previous judge, Judge John J. Murphy III. She shared that the Florida Supreme Court had a few more motions to decide on.
“We still three or four more things up on appeal with the Fourth District Court of Appeal,” she said in the clip. “So, we’re still kinda like in a stay… At this point, they need to just dismiss the case.”
Melly’s attorney, Raven Liberty, confirmed that the new date is simply that and her client will be requesting a speedy trial after the Florida Supreme Court ruling. When reached comment, Liberty wrote, “At this juncture, it is merely a date. We await a ruling from the 4th DCA on the suppression motions keeping out the text messages. Once the ruling comes back, Mr. Demons can demand a speedy trial.”
After Judge Murphy III ordered former prosecutor ASA Kristin Bradley to be removed from the case after being listed as a potential witness by Melly’s defense, a new prosecutor was assigned. On Instagram Live, King told her viewers that Bradley also appeared in court today, clarifying that her son’s case has reached its third judge. “We have another new judge. So this is the third judge on the same case that’s had a mistrial. And a prosecutor recused. The same prosecutor was in the courtroom today.”
YNW Melly’s first trial was declared a mistrial in July 2023. He surrendered to Broward County Sheriffs in 2019 and is detained in Paul Rein Detention Facility in Pompano Beach, Florida. Mely is restricted from visitation outside his legal team and receiving phone calls or letters.
Melly’s co-defendant, YNW Bortlen, is in custody in Broward County Jail after his bond was revoked in 2023 for alleged witness tampering.