Meek Mill was sentenced this week to a minimum of two years in prison after a Pennsylvania judge ruled that he had violated the terms of his probation. The sentence, described by Meek's attorney Joe Tacopina as "unjust," has inspired outrage among fans and fellow artists. On Wednesday, a petition aimed at Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf started gaining traction to the tune of nearly 40,000 signatures at the time of this writing.
"In regards to the harsh, undeserving sentencing of Robert Rihmeek Williams (Meek Mill), I felt the need to create a petition to reevaluate the charges, his impact in the community, and the subsequent sentencing," the petition, which appears to be linked with Do4Self CEO and Meek affiliate Teefy Bey, states. "More than just a celebrity or rapper, Meek Mill has been a powerful voice in the community for our youth. He has made positive contributions to many communities and programs, dedicating time and money to the cultivation of our youth and neighborhoods; even through his own adversities."
Once the petition lands its goal of 50,000 signatures, it will be passed to Gov. Wolf. The petition started receiving extensive media attention on Wednesday and was even shared by the official Roc Nation Facebook and Twitter accounts.
In Dallas, Texas on Tuesday night, Jay Z—who previously spoke out against Meek's sentencing in a Facebook post—stopped his 4:44 Tour show and outlined the ridiculousness of these latest developments. "Meek caught a charge when he was, like, 19," Jay told the crowd. "He's 30 now. He's been on probation for 11 years. Fucking 11 years. The judge gave him two to four years because he got arrested for being on a bike and popping a fucking wheelie."
Tacopina told Complex Tuesday that he plans to repeal the "ridiculous" decision, a move he believes will be successful. "We're going to appeal it and we're gonna pull out every stop we can to make sure that happens," he said. "[Meek] doesn't deserve to have any time on this ridiculous case, and we think that's going to happen."
