The judge presiding over the Young Dolph murder trial wants no further delays and has ruled to allow jurors from outside Memphis.
Judge Mitchell said the move is “the only way to ensure the defendant’s right to a fair trial is protected.”
Her decision comes in response to the intense media coverage of Dolph’s murder, swaying public opinion on the case.
Justin Johnson and Cornelius Smith were both arrested within months of Dolph being gunned down at Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies in Memphis on November 17, 2021.
Defendant Justin Johnson’s lawyer, Luke Evans, wrote in his original filing that “the victim in the case is beloved here.”
In her ruling, Mitchell said: “This court is wary that jurors from Shelby County will not be able to lay aside their opinions or impressions and render a verdict based upon the evidence presented.”
Justin Johnson and Smith’s trial is scheduled for June 3, 2024.
