Justin Johnson and Cornelius Smith, two of the four men charged in the Young Dolph murder case, are scheduled to face trial in June 2024.
Justin Johnson, one of the men accused of killing Young Dolph, aimed to prevent Memphis residents from serving on the jury in his murder trial. According to the Associated Press, Johnson’s attorney Luke Evans urged Judge Jennifer Mitchell to use jurors from outside of Shelby County, Tennessee.
Evans claimed Johnson wouldn’t receive a fair trial if the jury’s from Memphis. The attorney cited media coverage of the case and noted how Young Dolph was “beloved” in Memphis
A jury from somewhere else lacks that personal connection to the crime,” Evans said.
Johnson is one of the four men charged in connection to the 2021 death of Young Dolph. Johnson and his co-defendant Cornelius Smith were scheduled to face trial on March 11, but the judge pushed it back to June 3. Judge Mitchell will rule on Johnson’s motion for a change of venue on February 9.
Young Dolph was shot and killed at a Memphis bakery in 2021. Prosecutors accused Johnson and Smith of carrying out the attack. Both men pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including first-degree murder.
Hernandez Govan, the alleged mastermind behind Young Dolph’s murder, pleaded not guilty to murder charges. His trial has not been scheduled yet.
Johnson’s brother Jermarcus accepted a plea deal in the case. He awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to three counts of accessory after the fact
Last year, Young Dolph’s longtime partner Mia Jaye was asked what justice looked like for her. She hoped to see everyone involved in his death face consequences.
“It looks like the full truth coming to the forefront, not just a fall guy, a fall that won’t be good enough,” she said. “Everybody who had any type of involvement with this being brought to justice, being brought front and center, being handed a sentence.
