YNW Melly’s former lawyer Bradford Cohen criticized Florida prosecutors for mishandling the rapper’s murder case. Cohen reacted to an appeals court affirming a judge’s decision blocking the prosecution from cross-examining a state attorney if she’s a witness in Melly’s retrial.

“Essentially, the Broward State Attorneys Office really screwed this case up,” Cohen wrote on Instagram. “I have never seen anything like it. Literally refused to pass this case to an unconflicted state attorneys office after the defense listed one of their own state attorneys as a witness. They wanted to be able to cross examine the state attorney that was what amounted to a whistle blower and testified that a police officer lied.

The lower court ruled that the Broward State Attorney Office cannot cross examine one of their own. That means if they stay in the case, there will be no cross examination of the State Attorney that testified the lead detective lied about the service of a subpoena. The appellate court just agreed with the lower court.”

Cohen added, “A real circus over this case and mishandled from the 1st day when I was in the case. Bad investigation and even a worse trial. To think that the Broward State Attorneys Office would mishandle an important double murder case because of ego… unbelievable.”

Melly, whose real name is Jamell Demons, was arrested on first-degree murder charges in 2019. Prosecutors accuse him of killing his friends YNW Juvy and YNW Sakchaser in 2018.

The incarcerated rapper faced trial in July 2023. It ended in a mistrial.

Prosecutors sought a retrial. Jury selection began in October 2023, but the proceedings were put on hold indefinitely. Appeals and motions must be sorted out before jury selection resumes.

Melly has remained behind bars since his 2019 arrest. He faces a possible death sentence if convicted of murder.