About a week after the Philadelphia D.A. announced they would not oppose Meek Mill’s release on bail, the rapper’s legal team filed a motion to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court seeking the immediate removal of Judge Genece Brinkley from the case.
According to legal documents obtained by Complex, the defense claims the judge has “exceeded the judicial role by sometimes essentially acting as a prosecutor and, at other times, taking an unusual interest in, and trying to inject herself into [Meek’s] personal and professional life.”
Meek’s lawyers also allege that Brinkley’s personal attorney, Charles Peruto Jr., has made comments about the case to the press, and has threatened to sue Meek and his team on the judge’s behalf.
Peruto previously addressed the allegations that Brinkley was abusing her power to retaliate against Meek after he refused to comply with her alleged personal requests, like giving her a shoutout on a record and replacing his management with a prominent figure in the Philly music scene. Peruto went on to call the claims baseless and hinted at a possible defamation suit.
“What you have is an organization—extremely wealthy—who wants to attack a sitting judge. … It’s ‘How much money can you throw at a case and make your allegations stick?’” he told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “Her reputation has been severely damaged within the last month. We absolutely believe she has an absolute solid [defamation] case.”
Last Wednesday, Philly prosecutors suggested Meek’s two-to-four-year prison sentence could be reversed in light of new evidence that challenged the credibility of arresting officer Reginald V. Graham. The cop, who was also the lone witness in Meek’s 2008 trial, was on a list of corrupt police officers that was compiled by Philadelphia’s former district attorney.
“The Commonwealth has since acknowledged the ‘strong’ likelihood that [Meek] conviction will be reversed and declared its non-opposition to [Meek’s] motion for bail pending consideration of the PCRA petition,” the motion reads in part. “Still, [Meek] can have no confidence in the outcome of either his PCRA petition or his request for bail arising out of that petition, as both requests for relief have been assigned to the trial judge, who has exhibited bias and an unusual personal interest in this case and also has not promptly acted on various matters related to Mr. Williams’ case pending before her.”
Meek’s upcoming appeal hearing is set for April 16.
