Ezekiel Kelly, who faces the death penalty after being accused of a daylong shooting spree in Memphis that left three dead and three wounded, has chosen to represent himself in court. According to Action News 5, Kelly's decision was approved by Criminal Court Judge James Jones Jr., transitioning his attorney Michael Scholl to an advisory role. Scholl indicated there were no disagreements driving the decision for Kelly to represent himself.

Despite the gravity of the case against Kelly, Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy emphasized the competence of defendants to self-represent, "but it isn’t advisable, especially in a death penalty case," he mentioned in a statement obtained by WREG. Kelly, aged 22, requested a delay in his trial for additional time to examine extensive digital evidence, including thousands of pages and over 350 videos, made by him in jail in need of computer access to review the evidence.

On a related note, Michael Scholl expressed his professional perspective outside of court, telling The Daily Memphian, "I don’t advise anybody to represent themselves in any case." Scholl added that self-representation is particularly complicated in death penalty cases due to the extensive legal knowledge and emotional detachment required.

The charges against Kelly stem from shootings that took place in September 2022, prompting a citywide shelter-in-place order and a widespread manhunt. His alleged actions caused significant disruption in Memphis, including the shutdown of the public bus system and lockdowns of campuses and events. Kelly, who was fleeing from authorities, was arrested after crashing one of at least two vehicles he carjacked. He has pleaded not guilty to charges, including three counts of first-degree murder, as per a WREG report.