Myon Burrell waives right to jury trial

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Myon Burrell has waived his right to a jury in his upcoming trial on weapons and drugs charges, meaning the judge will decide the verdict. 

Burrell was freed from prison when his life-sentence for the murder of an 11-year-old girl was commuted in 2020. 

What does this mean? 

Burrell's verdict will not be decided by a jury, but rather the judge alone will determine his verdict. This case will be preceding under a court rule which allows the judge to decide the guilt based on stipulated evidence while the defendant keeps their appeals rights intact. 

Why Burrell is on trial 

Burrell is on trial after being charged after a Robbinsdale police officer initiated a traffic stop in August 2023. During the stop, the officer smelled marijuana in the car and during a search of the vehicle, officers found a Glock 17 9mm handgun with an extended magazine. They also found a backpack with two bags of marijuana, 16 pills of MDMA and 21 pills of methamphetamine.  

While Burrell was freed on the murder conviction, his sentence was only commuted – he wasn't pardoned. As a result, Burrell is still not allowed to carry a weapon.

No cameras allowed in Burrell's trial

FOX 9’s request for a camera in that courtroom to track proceedings was denied by Hennepin County Assistant Chief Judge Mark Kappelhoff.

"What it basically came down to was he [Judge Kappelhoff] said, ‘I do not think there is enough public interest in this.’ Well, how can the public be interested in something they really do not know very much about?" asked Jane Kirtley, who is a University of Minnesota media ethics and law professor.

READ MORE: Myon Burrell trial to begin this week, judge orders no cameras

Burrell's life sentence commuted

When Burrell was a teenager, he was convicted for the murder of 11-year-old Tyeshia Edwards in 2002. She was shot by a stray bullet while doing homework in her Minneapolis home. 

Reviews of the case found questionable eyewitness testimony, reliance on jailhouse informants and a failure by investigators to track down potentially exculpatory surveillance video. Gov. Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison made the final call on the commuted sentence, ultimately determining a life sentence wasn't appropriate for Burrell, who was convicted as a teenager. 

Burrell has maintained his innocence throughout.