On the fourth day of YNW Melly's double murder trial, his case took an interesting and possibly foreboding turn. Moreover, correspondent Bryson "Boom" Paul reported via Twitter that the rapper's lead attorney, David A. Howard, requested a mistrial in the case. It's unclear, at least based on Paul's initial report, what the motive behind the motion was. Other reports suggest that the mistrial was suggested by the defense after the state brought in evidence that caused too much prejudice in the trial. For those unaware, this refers to evidence that does not further the facts of the case, but rather creates a bias in favor of or in this case against the defendant.
In any case, it seems like the involvement of family members, ex-girlfriends, leaked DMs, and more have cause the jury to become too tainted in the defense's eyes. Furthermore, Paul reported that Judge Murphy III took the motion for a mistrial under advisement. The court will discuss on Tuesday, June 20 once trial resumes. Until that day comes, this is the last we will hear of YNW Melly's case in the courtroom.
YNW Melly Defense Requests Mistrial
Regardless, debate erupted online as to whether this motion actually means that the Gifford native will walk. Many on Twitter pointed out that it is up to the judge to determine whether a mistrial is in order. As such, celebrations of the request from the "Mixed Personalities" MC's supporters are moot until it's approved. Others claimed that if the court deems a case a mistrial on prejudice, then the defendant cannot be tried again. However, this seems to be mostly speculative and largely unconfirmed by the courts, reporters, or other trusted sources. In most cases, an approved mistrial still allows the defendant to be tried again.
In addition, the court's decision will paint what this mistrial represents: an effort to preserve justice or to dismiss relevant evidence. While it for now seems to fall under the former category, no one can truly know for sure. This is also another potential victory after the court sided with the 24-year-old by not allowing other evidence to be presented based on prejudice. For the latest news and updates on the YNW Melly case, log back into HNHH.