MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Shelby County Criminal Court judge overseeing the Young Dolph murder case against four men was ordered to remove himself from the case last week. Now, the new judge for one of the defendants, Hernandez Govan, has been announced.
The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals overturned a denial for a motion to recuse Judge Lee Coffee from the murder cases against Justin Johnson, Cornelius Smith, Hernandez Govan and Jermarcus Johnson, all charged in the death of Young Dolph.
The appellate court opinion questioned whether Coffee would be a fair and impartial judge for the upcoming trial, which is a right guaranteed under both the U.S. and Tennessee constitutions.
"It would appear to a reasonable person that Judge Coffee has a prejudice of a personal character, directed at [Justin Johnson]," the opinion, published by Judges Camille R. McMullen, J. Ross Dyer and John W. Campbell, said.
The court ordered Coffee to recuse himself from the case. On Nov. 1, the Shelby County Clerk's Office announced that Judge Jennifer Mitchell will preside over Govan's case. He will appear in court Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, at 9 a.m.
Coffee set Johnson's and Smith's trial date for March 11, 2024, with a deadline of December 1, 2023, for their legal teams to present any new evidence or agree to any plea deals before trial.