A Judge In Young Dolph’s Murder Case Has Been Ordered To Step Down

A Tennessee judge has stepped down from presiding over Young Dolph‘s murder case.

Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Lee Coffee was directed to recuse himself from the case by the state appeals court on Friday. This decision to remove Coffee from the high-profile case follows a request made by lawyer Luke Evans, who represents suspect Justin Johnson. Evans had informed the courts a month earlier that Coffee was unable to impartially preside over the case. Initially, on September 28, Coffee had denied a motion for a new judge to be appointed.

According to the Associated Press, attorney Luke Evans requested the judge’s recusal because he alleged that Coffee had not properly informed Johnson about a communication and visitation order that restricted Johnson from contacting or meeting with individuals outside of jail, with the exception of Evans.

The lawyer says the judge made the order without warning or a hearing. Evans called it “punitive,” but Judge Coffee explained that he did it to keep Johnson safe. He also mentioned that he hadn’t decided if Johnson was guilty or not.

As previously reported, Dolph was fatally shot outside Makeda’s Homemade Cookies in Memphis. Justin and Cornelius Smith, both suspects, were arrested in January 2022 in Indiana and Mississippi. They face first-degree murder, attempted murder, and theft of property charges related to Dolph’s death.

Jermarcus Johnson surrendered to the police in November 2022 and was charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder for allegedly assisting Justin in evading the authorities. In June, Jermarcus pleaded guilty to being an accessory as part of a plea agreement and was released on a $25,000 bond. The fourth suspect, Hernandez Govan, was also indicted in November 2022 and faces conspiracy charges for allegedly hiring Justin and Smith to carry out the murder of the Memphis rapper.