YNW Melly Files Lawsuit Alleging “Inhumane” Jail Conditions

Rapper YNW Melly, born Jamell Demons, has filed a lawsuit seeking his release from Broward County Jail in Florida, claiming that his detention conditions are “cruel, unusual and beyond belief.” Melly, who has been held since February 2019 while awaiting trial for murder, is suing Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony and his office. Filed on November 2nd in a Florida district court, the lawsuit asserts that his conditions violate fundamental Constitutional rights and seeks his immediate release from custody.

According to the lawsuit, Melly has been subjected to extreme isolation, banned from making phone calls, and has not been permitted to see or speak with his family for over three years, including his mother. Describing his experience as one of “isolation that shocks the conscience,” the suit argues that these conditions are “designed to deteriorate his mental health” and impede his ability to prepare for his upcoming retrial, set for September 10, 2025.

The complaint also references an incident in 2022 when Broward County authorities accused Melly of plotting to escape, a charge from which he was ultimately cleared. Despite this, he was placed in solitary confinement and reportedly denied all forms of communication with the outside world. Later, he was transferred to a vacant unit lacking basic amenities, such as television or access to newspapers, further exacerbating his mental strain, according to the filing.

Melly faces serious charges in connection with the 2018 murders of two childhood friends, Chris “YNW Juvy” Thomas and Anthony “YNW Sakchaser” Williams, an incident that prosecutors allege he attempted to stage as a drive-by shooting. A pretrial hearing for a separate case involving witness tampering is scheduled for December 5, 2024.