Jailed rapper Meek Mill is being released from prison on bail, according to Mill’s legal team.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered his release Tuesday after a long battle dating to November when the Philadelphia rapper was sentenced to 2 to 4 years in prison for violating his probation.
“We are thrilled that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has directed Judge Brinkley to immediately issue an order releasing Meek on bail,” lawyer Joe Tacopina said in a statement. “As we have said all along, Meek was unjustly convicted and should not have spent a single day in jail.”
In the decision, Pennsylvania’s highest court cited the credibility of Mill’s arresting officer, Reginald Graham, who was since been identified on a list of so-called dirty cops in Philadelphia.
Tuesday’s court order answered many of the concerns presented in court by Mill’s legal team and by the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. Last week, assistant DA Liam Riley expressed support for a new trial after learning that Mill’s arresting officer and his testimony could not be trusted. Earlier, the Philly DA’s office also expressed support for releasing the rapper on jail.
But Brinkley denied both bail and a new hearing last week, instead scheduling an evidentiary hearing in June.
“Meek is excited to be reunited with his family, and we, along with Meek, intend to continue to shine the light on a justice system in need of reform to prevent any other citizen from being put through what Meek has endured,” Tacopina said.
The state’s highest court also noted that Common Pleas Judge Genece Brinkley could recuse herself from presiding over any further legal proceedings, Tacopina said.
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