The trial date for Hernandez Govan, the man accused of orchestrating the murder of Memphis rapper Young Dolph, has been reset to July 28, 2025. Govan, rejecting the state's offer for a plea deal, will now see his day in court more than three and a half years after the November 2021 killing of the rapper at Makeda's Cookies in Memphis.
As reported by WREG, the decision not to plead guilty involves facing charges of First-Degree Murder, Conspiracy, and Attempted First-Degree Murder. The Assistant District Attorney, Paul Hagerman, noted the severity of the charges, stating, "There is the murder count that carries life in prison." Scheduling conflicts pushed the original March 10, 2025, trial date to the new July schedule.
Govan's attorney, Manay Arora, criticized the use of the term "mastermind" by the District Attorney's Office, emphasizing the importance of a fair trial. Arora expressed his disappointment in the pre-trial characterizations, "I just don’t want the DA to keep talking about 'mastermind' and all this craziness. The discovery says what it says and I am just a little disappointed that it’s been aired out. It should be a fair trial and the jury pool shouldn’t be tainted this way," Arora told WREG. Standing by his client's choice to face a jury, Arora plans to proceed without requesting a change of venue.
In a separate trial, Justin Johnson was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for his role in Young Dolph's murder. According to the testimony during Johnson's trial, Memphis rapper Yo Gotti's brother, Anthony "Big Jook" Mims, was alleged to have put a $100,000 hit on Dolph, a claim shared by Cornelius Smith who identified Govan as the person who set up the deal. Action News 5 provided detailed coverage of the trial developments. Govan, expected back in court for a report date on February 27, 2025, stands firm on his decision to go to trial after having turned down a plea deal that would likely have offered a lesser sentence than life in prison.
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy and Deputy District Attorney Paul Hagerman appear unwavering in their resolve to take Govan's case to trial. "We nonetheless are confident that we're going to be able to prove every element of the offenses that we've charged. We will be able to prove our case beyond a reasonable doubt." Mulroy stated, exhibiting confidence in the justice system to hold Govan accountable. These proceedings have been closely followed by The Commercial Appeal.
