YNW Melly; case against rapper dropped due to a mistrial - what caused the mistrial ruling?

YNW Melly may have escaped his first court hearing in the trial regarding the death of two of his former associates, but the ruling of a mistrial does not mean the rapper, 24-year-old, has been found not guilty of the double homicide. This is also a fact that the Broward State Attorney's Office made very sure people were aware of as the judge threw out the case for mistrial reasons.

Melly, who had he been found guilty would be one of the first criminals affected by new capital punishment reforms by Florida governor Ron DeSantis, instead was released after a jury were deadlocked with a decision as to whether the rapper, born Jamell Maurice Demons, was guilty of two counts of first-degree murder in February 2019 by police investigating the deaths of Anthony Williams and Christopher Thomas Jr.

As the jury found difficulties to reach their verdict, Judge Murphy read them the Allen charge, which urges jurors to continue deliberating before reaching a conclusion. However, the jury after deliberating for three days were unable to come to a unanimous decision on YNW Melly's two first-degree murder charges. 

As a result, the jury informed the Broward Circuit Court Judge John Murphy that they were deadlocked and could not reach a final verdict. Since the jury was unable to reach a unanimous decision, Judge Murphy declared a mistrial. That has also prompted the Broward State Attorney’s Office to announce that they will look for a retrial against the rapper, as a mistrial will allow prosecutors to take a different approach in their legal case.

During closing arguments, the prosecutor, Kristine Bradley, presented a detailed case with evidence, including mobile phone location data, Melly's supposed gang affiliation, and an alleged confession sent by the rapper on Instagram. The prosecution tried to piece together a narrative linking Melly to the back seat of the Jeep where the shootings occurred, holding a gun and allegedly committing the two crimes.

However, with insufficient evidence to remove any potential doubt that Melly was responsible for the murders, that led to the jury’s deadlock and ultimately the case being thrown out. As of now, there has been no information when a retrial would take place.

What is a mistrial?

In the United States, a mistrial is a legal declaration by the presiding judge that terminates the current trial proceedings without a final verdict being reached. It occurs when some significant irregularity, error, or prejudicial event happens during the trial that prevents the case from proceeding fairly or results in a hung jury, where the jurors are unable to reach a unanimous verdict.

Common reasons for declaring a mistrial include the aforementioned hung jury in the YNW Melly case, serious errors or misconduct that could prejudice the jury ot affect the outcome of the case, a juror engaging in improper behaviour including being influence by external factors, cases of mistaken identity or evidence presented in court that should not have been allowed to be exhibited. 

In the UK legal system, the concept of a mistrial is not commonly used in the same way as in the US legal system and the term generally refers to a trial that is terminated and does not result in a final verdict due to some significant error or irregularity.

In the UK, if a trial is unable to proceed or there is a significant problem during the trial, it is more common for the judge to "discharge the jury" or "stay the proceedings." These actions have similar effects to a mistrial in the US, as they result in the trial being terminated without a final verdict.