Rapper YNW Melly asks for speedy trial

Rapper Jamell Demons, better known by the professional name YNW Melly, has told a Broward judge he is tired of waiting and wants to go on trial for murder as soon as possible.

Demons, 22, has been in custody for nearly three years, accused of murdering two close friends and fellow rappers after a recording session and then trying to make it look like a random drive-by shooting.

He faces the possibility of a death sentence if convicted.

Speedy trial demands are not uncommon, but they are rare in capital murder cases. Defense lawyers usually prefer to have as much time as possible to prepare their cases so they can sow the seeds of reasonable doubt or, if they lose, convince the jury to spare the defendant’s life.

It was not clear Monday whether Demons is pushing for a speedy trial on his own or with the approval of his lawyer, Stuart Adelstein. Attempts to reach his attorney Monday were not successful.

The U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to a speedy trial. Most defendants waive that right, but in Florida, a defendant can demand a speedy trial at any point in the legal process, forcing proceedings to begin within 50 days.

For Demons, it would mean a trial date in mid-January.

According to investigators, Demons left a recording session on Oct. 26, 2018, with longtime friends Anthony D’Andre Williams and Christopher Thomas, Jr., fellow rappers who went by YNW Sakchaser and YNW Juvy, respectively. The driver was another friend, Cortlen Malik Henry.

Demons is accused of shooting the two passengers in Miramar, near U.S. 27 and Pembroke Road.

Police also accused him of conspiring with Henry to make it look like a drive-by. When Henry drove the wounded passengers to Memorial Hospital Miramar, Demons was nowhere to be found, according to police.

Henry, 22, is also charged with murder, though investigators have said Demons was the only gunman. Henry is also charged with accessory after the fact.

Henry’s lawyer, Fred Haddad, said Monday he will ask for his client, who does not face the death penalty, to be tried separately.

Demons