Meek Mill has been fighting the same conviction in a drug and gun case for a decade, but now the Associated Press reports that a Pennsylvania appeals court has overturned that conviction. Three judges came to a unanimous decision on Wednesday to give the rapper a new trial, citing clear police corruption. "The past 11 years have been mentally and emotionally challenging, but I’m ecstatic that justice prevailed," Meek said in a statement on the decision.
The Pennsylvania Superior Court has also overturned the trial judge's parole violation conviction, which was what sent him back to prison in 2017. This is the same judge, Genece Brinkley, who allegedly held a vendetta against Meek, with numerous supporters of his including Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin among those fighting to have the judge removed. In the new case, which could be dropped by prosecutors, the police officer who was the only prosecution witness will not be called over credibility worries.
REFORM Alliance CEO Van Jones expressed earlier this month that he was confident that Meek would have his conviction overturned.
On Twitter, Meek tweeted about his victory. "I'm not probation right now... New label deal with JAY-Z!!! Today was lit already," he tweeted. "'Wtf GOD,' you be acting a fool." Earlier on Wednesday, Meek confirmed that he is launching a new Dream Chasers label with JAY-Z's Roc Nation.
Rubin has been a big supporter of Meek during his battles in court throughout the years, and he released a statement on Wednesday to celebrate the decision. "I’m thrilled for Meek that the Superior Court granted him a new trial and, for the first time in his adult life, he’s no longer on probation and has no criminal record," Rubin said. "Time after time, I’ve watched the criminal justice system railroad Meek, but through it all, he’s handled this adversity with extraordinary strength and poise."
Both Meek and Rubin have pledged to continue fighting for criminal justice reform. "But the fight isn’t over—there are still millions of people unfairly trapped in the legal system. Meek, myself and our team at the REFORM Alliance are working feverishly to address these issues in a meaningful way and with transformative legislation," Rubin continued.
"Millions of people are dealing with similar issues in our country and don’t have the resources to fight back like I did," added Meek. "We need to continue supporting them. I’m committed to working with my team at the REFORM Alliance to change these outdated laws and fix our broken criminal justice system."
Here's Meek's complete statement on the matter:
“I’d like to thank the Pennsylvania Superior Court judges for their wisdom and transparency in reviewing my case, unanimously overturning my conviction and granting me a new trial. The past 11 years have been mentally and emotionally challenging, but I’m ecstatic that justice prevailed. This positive outcome wouldn’t have been possible without the support of my family, my attorneys, JAY-Z, Desiree Perez, Michael Rubin, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office and my supporters who have stood with me through the ups and downs. Unfortunately, millions of people are dealing with similar issues in our country and don’t have the resources to fight back like I did. We need to continue supporting them. I’m committed to working with my team at the REFORM Alliance to change these outdated laws and fix our broken criminal justice system.”
In an interview with TMZ, Meek's lawyer Joe Tacopina spoke about how it feels to finally have the conviction overturned. "Justice was delayed, but no denied," he said. "The reason the District Attorney's office in the city of Philadelphia had agreed to a post-conviction relief... [Is] because the witness in this case, the only witness against Meek, is someone who's been deemed by his own police department to be a corrupt officer."
Meek and his team have not considered filing a civil assault against the city of Philadelphia, Tacopina added.
