Genece Brinkley, the judge who sentenced Meek Mill to prison last month, is facing more accusations of unethical conduct.
According to Vibe, social justice organizations #cut50 and Color of Change have called for an investigation of Judge Brinkley after discovering she omitted information on “Statement of Financial Interests” forms. Pennsylvania state law requires public officials to submit these documents each year to disclose “real estate assets, gifts, debt, income sources, and corporate affiliations.” Judge Brinkley is accused of submitting inaccurate information on these forms from 2007 to 2016, failing to reveal her rental income, her ownership interest in various for-profit businesses, and her status as an officer of one of those businesses.
In total, there are 44 instances in which the judge failed to disclose accurate information—16 of those instances involved real estate investments and profits from real estate sales. Judge Brinkley also failed to report that she owns and/or is a director of two private corporations, including Business Analysts and Consultants Inc., BonBri Enterprises Inc., and Communications Analysts, International.
"It's shocking and concerning to me that this judge, with her history of inappropriate and unethical conduct, continues to be in a position to make critical decisions," Jessica Jackson, national director of #cut50 and Mayor of Mill Valley, California, said in a press release. "As an elected official myself, I'm very familiar with the importance of disclosures and the consequences associated with failing to abide by both the letter and spirit of disclosure laws. Transparency is the cornerstone of any good government. If an official or a judge cannot be trusted to be transparent and ethical, how can we possibly trust them with power over people's lives? We must hold our judges to the highest ethical standard to preserve trust and confidence in our criminal justice system."
#cut50 and Color of Change are using this new evidence to underscore Brinkley’s questionable behavior as a judge. Since sentencing Meek to two-to-four years in prison, Brinkley has faced several accusations of unprofessional misconduct. Meek’s attorneys claim she has a long-standing vendetta against the rapper, and may have tried to use her power to influence his business decisions.
"This new evidence of financial impropriety is further proof to support Judge Brinkley's questionable ethics," Scott Roberts, senior criminal justice campaign director of Color of Change, said in a statement. "For judges, the power and discretion to make or break someone's life requires a higher level of accountability. We ask the supervising judge in the Court of Common Pleas to take action against Judge Brinkley immediately."
#cut50 and Color of Change have started a petition calling for the judge to step aside. You can learn more about the petition here.
