Well, this was pretty much expected. YNW Melly will continue to await his double murder retrial from behind bars after a Florida judge denied his latest bid for release on house arrest.
It all went down on Monday. Broward County Circuit Judge Martin Fein issued a ruling against the rapper’s motion for bond, determining that the state’s evidence remains compelling and consistent with the record from Melly’s initial trial. The denial followed an Arthur hearing, which is used in exceptional cases to evaluate bond eligibility despite the seriousness of the charges.
In his written decision, Judge Fein emphasized that the prosecution’s case “is arguably sufficient to convict” and had not been “contradicted in a material respect” to warrant release pending retrial.
The consequential ruling sparked frustration from Melly’s mother, Jamie King, who voiced her disappointment on social media. She suggested the defense didn’t present a strong enough case during the hearing.
“It was denied because the defense did not put on any evidence or witnesses at the bond hearing. We are not done fighting,” King wrote on Instagram.
What’s more, Melly’s legal team proposed stringent house arrest conditions, including 24-hour private security and round-the-clock GPS monitoring, and highlighted that he doesn’t hold a passport. They also noted that the rapper, born Jamell Demons, has remained compliant and incident-free in custody since 2019.
Despite those assurances, prosecutor Justin Griffis urged the court to consider the gravity of the charges—two counts of first-degree murder and alleged witness tampering—as justification for continued pretrial detention.
Anywho … With the retrial still ahead, and the court holding firm on its stance, Melly’s legal battle remains far from over. As tensions rise both in the courtroom and online, supporters and critics continue to watch closely as one of hip-hop’s most controversial legal sagas unfolds.