Earlier this month, the suspects in Young Dolph’s murder — 32-year-old Cornelius Smith and 23-year-old Justin Johnson -— were arrested and charged with first-degree murder two months after the rapper’s death. According to FOX13 Memphis, during their first appearance in court, the two were asked by Judge Lee Coffee if they would need an attorney to be provided for them. They both declined. In a second court appearance, the suspects returned again without lawyers, leaving Judge Coffee to set a deadline for them to find representation.
“If you have a lawyer hired, that’s fine, but as I told you 10 days ago, I cannot allow you to sit in jail week after week, month after month, without a lawyer,” Judge Coffee told Smith and Johnson during the hearing. “If you don’t have a lawyer hired on Feb. 4, I’m going to hire a private attorney to represent both of you all.” In response to Judge Coffee’s request, Smith and Johnson both assured the court that they would have lawyers by the deadlines, adding that their families were working on finding attorneys for them.
This comes after the slain rapper’s label Paper Route Empire released the tribute Long Live Young Dolph. It arrived complete with features from Key Glock, Big Moochie Grape, and more. Key Glock also delivered a video for “Proud,” which appears on the album.