Since 2019, YNW Melly has been behind bars, going through two counts of first-degree homicide in a case that has captivated a lot of the hip-hop world. This week, his uphill authorized struggle grew steeper when a federal decide threw out his try and problem the circumstances of his confinement, one other setback as he awaits retrial.

On Tuesday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Melissa Damian dismissed Melly’s habeas corpus petition, ruling that he should first exhaust all cures in state court docket earlier than turning to the federal system. The ruling was issued “without prejudice,” leaving the door open for him to refile at a later date.

In his 12-page grievance, filed in November 2024, Melly described what he referred to as “shocking” therapy inside Broward County Jail. He stated he had endured prolonged durations of solitary confinement and extreme limits on speaking along with his attorneys—circumstances he likened to prisons in international locations with few human rights protections.

Trial Delayed Again

The dismissal comes as Melly’s retrial, already years within the making, faces one more delay. A Broward County decide not too long ago moved the beginning date from September 2026 to January 2027, citing scheduling conflicts and the case’s complexity. His first trial, in 2023, resulted in a mistrial after jurors failed to succeed in a unanimous verdict. Until the brand new date arrives, Melly stays in county custody.

Through all of it, his household has been outspoken of their help. His mom, Jamie Demons-King, shared a message alongside a courtroom photograph: “Never missed a court date. We stand behind you 100% @ynwmelly. I love you, and God has you covered.”

Melly rose to prominence along with his 2018 single Murder on My Mind, a monitor that established him as a breakout voice in rap however has since develop into inextricably linked to the fees he faces. With his retrial nonetheless greater than a 12 months away, his future — each in music and in life—stays unsure, formed much less by the charts than by the courtroom battles forward.