BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – Imprisoned rapper YNW Melly has filed a lawsuit against the Broward Sheriff’s Office, alleging “cruel treatment” and constitutional rights violations, with his attorneys calling for his immediate release, according to court documents obtained by Local 10 News on Monday.
The 25-year-old rapper, whose legal name is Jamell Maurice Demons, claims the jail’s restrictive measures have obstructed his legal defense and kept him in prolonged isolation, preventing him from speaking to family members since 2022.
Attorney Michael Pizzi joined Demons’ family on Monday to announce the lawsuit at a press conference.
“They’re trying to break him down and get a result they couldn’t achieve in court,” Pizzi said, referring to Demons’ previous trial, which ended in a mistrial.
Demons, who has been held in jail since 2019 on double murder charges, is accused of killing two friends, Christopher “Juvy” Thomas Jr. and Anthony “Sakchaser” Williams, inside a Jeep Compass driven by his co-defendant, Cortland “Bortland” Henry.
The alleged incident took place early on Oct. 26, 2018, in Broward County, with prosecutors claiming it was staged to look like a drive-by shooting. A retrial has been scheduled for September 2025.
Meanwhile, the 12-page complaint alleges that Demons has been placed in “debilitating isolation” and that restrictions on attorney visits have hindered his ability to prepare for his case.
Demons’ mother, Jamie King, who claims she last spoke to him in 2022, voiced her concerns, saying, “Some days I don’t know if he’s alive in there. I don’t know if something’s happened to him.”
In response, BSO issued a statement denying allegations of “solitary confinement” and clarifying that Melly has been placed on administrative segregation, a classification BSO says is reserved for individuals who pose a safety threat to others or to facility property.
A federal judge will now review the complaint to determine whether BSO must respond.
Read the lawsuit in the document below.