The two men accused of the ambush killing of Memphis rapper Young Dolph now both have attorneys, with one defendant choosing his lawyer and the other getting a judge’s choice.
Both accused murderers – Cornelius Smith, 32, and Justin Johnson, 23, entered “not guilty” pleas to first-degree murder charges on Friday morning (Feb. 11).
Smith appeared before Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Lee V. Coffee with his attorney, Michael Scholl, who was obtained after the original Feb. 4 date to secure legal representation. Coffee on Friday appointed Juni Ganguli, a private attorney, to represent Johnson.
Both defendants declined public defenders at their Jan. 18 arraignment. Each said family members were talking to lawyers and would hire someone to represent them by Feb. 4. That scheduled court proceeding was delayed by last week’s ice storm.
On Friday, after Johnson said his mother was going to hire an attorney but didn’t have the funds, Coffee appointed Ganguli, who represented Sherra Wright in the murder case of her ex-husband and former NBA player Lorenzen Wright.
Ganguli, speaking to the media after the hearing, said he had spoken with Johnson.
“No one is ever excited about being charged with murder,” said Ganguli. “Mr. Johnson is sad and confused.”
Ganguli was asked about “the best-case scenario.”
“The best-case outcome is that I get my client acquitted,” he said.
Told that the prosecution appeared to have “a pretty air-tight case,” Ganguli replied, “Don’t they always? People thought Sherra Wright was going to get life in prison, but you see what happened there.”
Wright was sentenced to 30 years. She is required to serve 30 percent of that sentence, including time served, making her eligible for parole in 2026.
Coffee spoke with The New Tri-State Defender after the proceedings.
“In all my cases, I avoid reading or watching any news reports regarding the crime or defendants,” said Coffee. “I don’t want to develop any unconscious bias.”
With the death penalty an option for prosecutors in all first-degree murder cases, Coffee chose to appoint a private attorney for Johnson rather than a public defender.
“Both attorneys are death-penalty qualified,” said Coffee. “That is crucial in these kinds of cases.”
If convicted of first-degree murder, the defendants could face either the death penalty or life without parole. Tennessee is one of 24 states still imposing the death penalty.
“When appointing a private attorney, of course, he or she always has the right to decline the case,” said Coffee. “Five … approached me this week asking that I not appoint them. They said they would do it if I asked, but preferred that I did not ask.”
Young Dolph, whose legal name was Adolph Robert Thornton Jr., was gunned down on Nov. 17, 2021 at a local cookie shop by two masked men captured on video jumping out and fleeing in a white Mercedes that had been carjacked the week before.
The ambush-killing occurred with Memphis on its way to a record-breaking 346 homicides in 2021.
Johnson and Smith remain in the Shelby County jail without bond. Coffee set their next court appearance for March 24.
