Meek Mill Off Probation, Criminal Case Closed
Meek Mill is a free man.
The Philly rapper has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge, ending a 12-year legal battle that’s kept him on probation for most of his adult life.
The 32-year-old rapper, born Robert Williams, reached the plea agreement in Philadelphia on Tuesday after a Pennsylvania appeals court overturned his 2008 conviction on gun and drug charges.
Thank y’all!
— Meek Mill (@MeekMill) August 27, 2019
He has already served about two years in prison over the 2007 case, and a judge decided he wouldn’t spend any additional time behind bars.
The negotiated plea comes after both sides questioned the credibility of the arresting officer who testified in the case. The defense also accused the trial judge of bias for sending the “Going Bad” MC back to prison for minor probation violations.
A grateful Meek addressed his supporters outside the court. “I want to thank everybody who ever stood for me out here, all the supporters and people who came out and supported me through the ups and downs, in and out of the system,” he said while standing in front of a banner that said “#Justice4Millions.” “I’m very thankful from the bottom of my heart—everybody that ever mentioned my name or said ‘Free Meek’ helped me get to this position.”
#Breaking: "Meek freed, I'm not on probation" @MeekMill thanks supporters after final court hearing where he pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm without a license from his initial arrest in 2007. Tuesday's plea ends the rapper's 12 year legal battle. https://t.co/CMUG5zZ3nJ pic.twitter.com/YCyexQkUrV
— NBC10 Philadelphia (@NBCPhiladelphia) August 27, 2019
When the crowd shouted “Free Meek,” the Dream Chasers rapper stopped them. “Meek free,” he said to cheers. “I’m not on probation no more. I don’t have to go to court no more.”
He also vowed to continue his fight for criminal justice reform. “I know y’all probably got family members in jail or people going through the same thing as me, and I will continue to do what I do with the reform movement and help the people that help me,” he said.
In 2008, Meek was convicted on drug and gun charges. He was sentenced to 23 months in prison and released early on five years’ parole. In 2017, he was sentenced to two to four years for violating parole on the 2008 conviction. He served five months before the case was overturned.