Judge John J. Murphy III has officially declared a mistrial in the case of YNW Melly. Melly had been accused of the murders of two YNW members in 2018. Furthermore, Melly was accused of bringing the two men to a local hospital, claiming they had been shot in a drive-by shooting. After Melly declined to testify earlier this week, the jurors entered deliberation. However, it quickly became clear the 12-person panel was divided and had reached an impasse. Judge Murphy III handed down an Allen charge, threatening to declare a mistrial if a verdict was not reached.
The mistrial ruling came a little over an hour after Bryson “Boom” Paul reported that the jurors had requested to see the damaged cell phone of one of the victims, YNW Juvy. However, a mistrial ruling does not mean that Melly is a free man just yet.
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What Does A Mistrial Mean?
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So what is a mistrial? Well, a mistrial can be declared for a number of reasons. However, the YNW Melly scenario, a deadlock or hung jury, is one of the more common. According to the Fully Informed Jury Association, “In the event of a mistrial, the defendant is not convicted, but neither is the defendant acquitted. An acquittal results from a not guilty verdict and cannot be appealed by the prosecution, overturned by the judge, or retried. When there is a mistrial, however, the case may be retried.” In short, a mistrial means that the trial was essentially ruled invalid. A decision was not reached, leaving the defendant’s “guilt” in limbo.
While the concept of double jeopardy exists (the Constitutional protection of being tried for the same crime twice), mistrials are generally granted by judges in the United States. So Melly is not “free” in the full sense of the word. However, from the Fully Informed Jury Association again, “Functionally, a hung jury is far better for the defendant than a conviction.” So, for the time being, Melly has been given a little breathing room. However, this saga is likely far from over.
