UPDATED 4:16 p.m. ET: Pitchfork is reporting that Meek Mill does not have a bail hearing, in contrast to previous reports. A court spokesperson told the outlet that the hearing being scheduled was "an administrative error," and it has now been canceled.
Original story below:
Meek Mill has been granted a bail hearing in his prison sentence appeal case. Meek's legal team confirmed the hearing, which is scheduled to take place Nov. 27, to the Fader on Friday. Meek will appear in front of Judge Genece Brinkley at the Center for Criminal Justice at 9 a.m. in Philadelphia.
Earlier this week, Meek’s lawyers filed legal documents asking for his prison sentence to be tossed along with his probation. Attorney Joe Tacopina also filed a motion to have Judge Brinkley remove herself from the case, as she’s been "very unprofessional, very inappropriate." Brinkley has been accused of having a personal vendetta against Meek based on his refusal to give her a shout-out on a song. She also allegedly encouraged him to leave his current management and sign with Charlie Mack, a well-known figure in the Philadelphia music circuit.
The FBI is reportedly looking into Brinkley’s potential relationship with Mack.
"Judges aren't supposed to be making personal requests of defendants who they're judging," Tacopina told Complex. "So Meek denies both of those requests, now we have to wonder and guess if that has anything to do with the sentence she gave him yesterday? I think you have to wonder and guess that it did. The probation officer and the district attorney both said he doesn't deserve any jail time for these technical violations. Both cases were dismissed, but to her it doesn't matter."
Meek's sentence inspired Jay Z to pen a powerful New York Timesop-ed Friday. Jay, who's spoken out against Meek's "unjust" sentence multiple times, highlighted the absurdity of the criminal justice system at large. "The specifics of Meek's case inspired me to write this," he said Friday. "But it's time we highlight the random ways people trapped in the criminal justice system are punished every day."
