YNW Melly Trial: Jury Out to Deliberate

The double murder case has been submitted to the jury to deliberate on YNW Melly's guilt.

This week, the parties rested their case in the YNW Melly first-degree murder trial—meaning the presentation of evidence is over. The State rested on Monday. The defense rested on Tuesday after presenting only one witness.

On Thursday, the parties presented closing arguments to the jury, where the attorneys reviewed the evidence and made their best case to the jury. The defense focused on the holes in the police investigation of the crime. The defense finished their closing argument at approximately 2:45 p.m., at which point the State was able to give its rebuttal argument.

Screenshot of the Assistant State Attorney Kristine Bradley presenting closing arguments to the jury, taken from the link below

The closing arguments are available here.

After closing arguments, the judge read the jury instructions to the jury. The jury was released to deliberate around 3:30 p.m. The alternates were not excused but also did not go to the jury room for deliberations. They were told that they could be called back if needed.

Mr. Demons told the Court he was satisfied with the presentation his attorneys made on his behalf.

The Court is now in recess while the jury deliberates.

While the jury is out for deliberations, the jurors will be sequestered pursuant to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.370, which requires sequestration in capital cases:

Absent exceptional circumstances of emergency, accident, or other special necessity or unless sequestration is waived by the state and the defendant, in all capital cases in which the death penalty is sought by the state, once the jurors have retired for consideration of their verdict, they must be sequestered until such time as they have reached a verdict or have otherwise been discharged by the court.

This means that, if the jury does not reach a verdict tonight, the jurors will stay at a hotel and will not go home each night. They will go home after they reach a verdict.

Any conviction by the jury must be unanimous.

If YNW Melly is convicted, the State will seek the death penalty, and the trial will proceed to the penalty phase. I’ll cover that in more depth if there is a conviction.

---

Prior TFDP Coverage of YNW Melly’s Trial

• The State’s discovery violation and how testimony affected jurors

• Trial court considered motion for mistrial

• Trial court denied motion for mistrial