UPDATE: Hernandez Govan Found Not Guilty On All Charges In Young Dolph’s Death
Written by 96motero on August 21, 2025
Hernandez Govan got off on three charges related to the ambush death of Young Dolph. A jury ruled on Thursday to acquit the 45-year-old of first-degree murder, and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, per the Associated Press. Govan reportedly thanked Judge Jennifer Mitchell after she called for his release. Prosecutors attempted to prove Hernandez was the mastermind behind the cookie shop drive-by executed by Cornelius Smith Jr. and Justin Johnson.
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Details About The “Not Guilty” Verdict
Their efforts fell short, though. Rather than siding with the prosecutors’ argument that Hernandez Govan provided everything needed to execute the death, they acquitted him. His lawyer called into question how the police handled the investigation, and cast doubt on the cellphone evidence prosecutors entered, arguing that it didn’t incriminate Govan.
“Thankfully the jurors listened, they saw the holes in the case,” Govan’s lawyer Manny Arora said.
Even with testimony from Cornelius Smith, the prosecutors fell flat in their argument. Smith said Big Jook put out a $100,000 hit on Dolph over street and booth beef with his brother, Yo Gotti. Jook died earlier this year. In the courtroom on Monday, Cornelius said Hernandez put him on doing hits, and was planning to take a $10,000 cut. He also allegedly told Smith and Johnson the details of Young Dolph’s Memphis movements in November 2021.
None of it stuck, at least not enough to result in a conviction on any charges. After Judge Mitchell said he could go free, Hernandez Govan hugged his lawyer, Arora.
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