YNW Melly is seeking immediate release from custody, claiming he’s being subjected to inhumane treatment and egregious violations of his constitutional rights while being held at the Broward County Jail.
The rapper has been in custody since February 2019 on charges of capital murder, accused of the double homicide of his two friends, Anthony Williams and Christopher Thomas Jr., in October 2018.
He went on trial in July 2023, but the case ended in a mistrial when the jury couldn’t reach a verdict. He’s expected to face trial again in September 2025.
YNW Melly’s attorney, Michael A. Pizzi Jr., alleges that Melly has been held in solitary confinement for over three years without being allowed any phone calls or visits from family members, including his mother.
It also alleges that the conditions of his detention are cruel and unusual, violating the First, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution.
According to the petition, Melly’s attorneys have faced numerous obstacles in communicating with him, including being forced to wait for hours, being denied entry and meeting in conditions that impede privacy and privileged communication.
The petition also details an incident in April 2022, where another inmate falsely accused Melly of planning an escape, leading to a shakedown of his cell and further restrictions on his communication.
“These restrictions are not related to any legitimate security concerns and are instead punitive measures designed to deteriorate Melly’s mental health and impede his ability to prepare for his trial,” Pizzi said. “No non-Black inmates are subjected to such punitive restrictions.”
The petition calls for Melly’s immediate release, citing the abusive and unconstitutional nature of his detention. It also points out that Melly has sought relief in state court multiple times without success.
“The emotional and psychological toll of his prolonged isolation is enormous,” Pizzi stated. “The ongoing interference with his right to counsel is a blatant violation of his constitutional rights.”
The petition calls on the court to order Melly’s release from what it describes as unlawful detention.