Despite being released from prison on Tuesday, Meek Mill is still not allowed to leave Philadelphia. According to court documents obtained by The Blast, a judge ordered Meek not to leave the county while out on bail. "This Court ORDERS that Defendant reside in Philadelphia County, be supervised by the Philadelphia County Adult Probation and Parole Department, and shall report to the Philadelphia County Adult Probation and Parole Department within 24 hours of the date of this Order,” the document reads. With an upcoming evidentiary hearing on June 18, Meek would need to petition the court in order to leave the county if he so chooses.
Meek served six months in prison for a probation violation. His ordeal has been fraught with claims that the legal system was biased in their handling of his case and sentencing, particularly after Meek's arresting officer was found to have been involved in a number of corruption and false testimony scandals.
In a statement provided to Complex, Meek's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, had this to say: "When the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered Judge Brinkley to immediately release Meek on bail, it stated that the conditions of bail should be similar or identical to the conditions that existed when he was on probation prior to August 1, 2017. At that time, Meek resided in Montgomery County, as he does now, which is where we believe his bail should be supervised from.”
So far, it looks like Meek is comfortable in his hometown, having gone to a Philadelphia 76ers playoff game shortly after his release.
But don't expect Meek to champagne and campaign for much longer. The rapper has pledged to use his platform to advocate for criminal justice reform. “This is an important moment,” he told NBC's Lester Holt in his first interview since being released. “This is a very important moment."
