Trial for 2 men in Young Dolph case set to begin in March 2024

The two men charged with carrying out the shooting and killing of Young Dolph nearly two years ago will go to trial in March 2024.

The date was set Friday and followed months of report dates, changes in the level of security the two men were incarcerated under and an attempt to have Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Lee V. Coffee recuse himself for stripping one of the men of his communications privileges.

In court Friday, Justin Johnson, the man who allegedly recorded a rap song from the Shelby County Jail through the court phone and later lost his communication privileges, was given some additional leeway in using the phone by Coffee. Johnson is now allowed to speak with anyone at his attorney's office, as his attorney struggled to reach Johnson in jail, along with two family members.

Both Johnson and Cornelius Smith were in the courtroom Friday morning. The two men have appeared in court together since the special prosecution case was created in January.

The two were indicted for conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, using a firearm while committing a felony, unlawful possession of a firearm and theft of property. They both are facing life without the possibility of parole.

Johnson and Smith are the only two defendants in the Young Dolph case who remain in jail. Johnson's brother, Jermarcus Johnson, entered a guilty plea on June 9 to three counts of accessory after the fact and is accused of helping his brother evade police following the shooting. Jermarcus Johnson faces 6 to 12 years for all the charges.

His plea deal lowered his bail from $300,000 to $25,000 and he posted that amount. He will be out of jail until his sentencing, which is scheduled for Aug. 10. Jermarcus Johnson is also expected to testify against the other men, including his brother.

Another defendant, Hernandez Govan, was given a lower bail amount in early May due to declining health and has been under "alternative restriction and supervision" until his trial. Although his supervision has been sealed "for security reasons" Govan reported to court Thursday morning.

During that court appearance, he told Coffee he had a broken back after falling down the stairs. He is scheduled for surgery later this year.

All four defendants have varying involvement in the Nov. 12, 2021 shooting that killed Young Dolph, born Adolph Thornton Jr. The Memphis rapper was shot and killed inside Makeda's Homemade Butter Cookies on Airways Boulevard.

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Justin Johnson and Cornelius Smith were the first to be arrested in the case and were indicted for carrying out the shooting. Govan was later indicted and accused of orchestrating the killing.

A motive for the conspiracy has not been made public by prosecutors or investigators. The trial for Justin Johnson and Smith is scheduled to begin on March 11. An additional report date is set for Dec. 1 for attorneys to argue any additional motions and for any potential plea deals to be entered prior to trial.

Lucas Finton is a criminal justice reporter with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at Lucas.Finton@commercialappeal.com and followed on Twitter @LucasFinton.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Young Dolph killing: Trial to begin in March 2024 in Memphis