YNW Melly’s Double Murder Retrial Jury Selection Will Be Livestreamed
Written by Kiss Media on 17 October 2026
The YNW Melly case is heading back to court, and this time the public will get a front-row seat. A Florida judge has granted permission for jury selection in the rapper’s double-murder retrial to be livestreamed — one of the most closely watched legal proceedings in hip-hop.
According to court documents obtained by XXL, Broward County Judge Martin S. Fein submitted administrative orders on Oct. 13 laying out strict procedures for jury selection. The judge ordered 500 prospective jurors to be summoned, with availability screening done in groups of 50, ultimately narrowing down to a panel of 60 eligible jurors. Citing security concerns for attorneys, courtroom staff, jurors, and the public, Judge Fein ruled that the general public will NOT be allowed inside the courtroom during jury selection — but everyone will be able to watch the process via livestream from a separate courtroom.
The judge pointed to the rapper’s first trial, which ended in a mistrial in 2023, saying it was marred by “numerous incidents of inappropriate contact and inappropriate communication and attempted communication between the prospective jurors and numerous members of the public.” This time, he’s taking no chances.
Meanwhile, Melly’s defense team is fighting to keep key evidence out of the retrial. In court documents filed Oct. 9, his attorneys moved to suppress evidence obtained from Instagram, Snapchat, Google, and an iPhone through search warrants issued in March 2024, arguing investigators secured the warrants with an affidavit containing intentional misstatements and omissions. They’re asking that the evidence be thrown out entirely.
Melly, born Jamell Demons, has been behind bars since February 2019, when he was arrested for the murders of fellow YNW crew members YNW Sakchaser and YNW Juvy. He maintains his innocence. His next court appearance is set for Oct. 27, and the retrial is scheduled to begin January 2027. Even while locked up, the Florida rapper keeps dropping music — he released the “Collect Call II” project this past August.
His breakout hit tells its own story — watch the official “Murder On My Mind” video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqDinxaPUK4
Is this case finally getting some clarity, or is it about to get messier? Let us know in the comments, and keep the requests coming at +1 302-357-9831.
Source: XXL and HotNewHipHop
