MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Shelby County Judge has granted a motion for a change of venue for the trial for the suspects charged in the murder of Memphis rapper Young Dolph.
Judge Jennifer J. Mitchell made the ruling Friday, Feb. 9, 2024. It means an outside jury will be brought in to Shelby County to hear the case against Justin Johnson and Cornelius Smith Jr., which received heavy media attention here.
"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," said Judge Mitchell. "This court believes this is the only way to ensure the defendant's right to a fair trial is protected."
During the original motion asking for the outside jury, Johnson's lawyer, Luke Evans, told Judge Mitchell the killing has received relentless attention from news outlets and on social media, where some commenters have called for Johnson to be lynched or killed in prison in an attempt to seek vengeance, not justice.
It would be dangerous for the trial's integrity if a jury from the Memphis area were to be seated and the court should not “play chicken” with the defendant's rights, Evans said.
“The victim in the case is beloved here,” Evans said, adding later that a “jury from somewhere else lacks that personal connection to the crime.”
Evans said Friday that he was pleased with the judge's ruling.
Prosecutor Paul Hagerman noted at the time of the motion that the killing of former NBA player Lorenzen Wright — another respected Memphis figure — also received heavy media attention, but the court was able to find impartial jurors for his 2022 trial. A man was found guilty of the 2010 slaying of Wright.
“You're always surprised in cases like this how many people don't watch the news at all,” said Hagerman, the prosecutor in the Wright case.
Hagerman said Friday the change of venue would not pose an obstacle for prosecutors. The court will decide the county from which the jurors will come at a later date, he said.
“We can get this jury from wherever,” Hagerman said. “We're going to try this case, and we're going to see this thing until the end.”
The trial was reset previously from March 11 to June 3, 2024. Judge Mitchell took over the case after the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals ordered Judge Lee Coffee to recuse himself from the Young Dolph case.
Johnson and Smith were indicted in January 2022 on charges of first-degree murder, criminal attempted first-degree murder, unlawful carrying and possession of a firearm, employment of a firearm with intent to commit a felony, and theft of property. Both currently remain in the Shelby County Jail without bail in the Dolph murder.
The man accused of ordering the hit against Young Dolph, Hernandez Govan, is charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. He is currently out of jail on $90,000 bond. He was ordered to remain on house arrest.
Another suspect, Jermarcus Johnson, pleaded guilty to three counts of accessory after the fact in October, in exchange for information into other suspects in the case. He faces six to 12 years in jail. Jermarcus Johnson bonded out of jail following the plea deal, and a sentencing date has been reset several times. A March hearing was reset for May.
Young Dolph, whose real name was Adolph Thornton Jr., was fatally shot at Makeda's Cookies on Airways Boulevard on Nov. 17, 2021. Police said at the time two men got out of a stolen Mercedes-Benz and fired shots into Makeda’s Homemade Cookies, where Young Dolph was making a purchase. Police released photos taken from surveillance video that captured the shooting, which they said led to the arrests.
Under Tennessee law, if the suspects are found guilty of first-degree murder at trial, they could face life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Justin Johnson also faces additional charges from a non-related case. He’s accused of failing to register as a sex offender, violating the Sex Offender Registry Act.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.