Meek Mill has been getting a hard time when it comes to his legal issues for years, with Judge Genece Brinkley accused numerous times of discriminating against the Philadelphia rapper. However, in court docs obtained by Complex, first reported by TMZ, Philly's district attorney's office believes that Meek deserves a new trial with a different judge entirely.
The D.A.'s office has filed new documents in support of giving him a more fair trial following his stint in state prison, which came to an end in April 2018. He was initially sentenced to 2 to 4 years by Brinkley, and appealed to ask for a new trial. His request was initially shot down, but with the district attorney on his side, that could very well change. The office filed the documents with the Pennsylvania Superior Court on Wednesday, stating that Brinkley has a history of bias throughout the case. They also argue that his probation violation case should be retired entirely.
Brinkley has been accused of "abusing her discretion" when she sentenced him for "technical violations" of his probation. She made a visit to a homeless shelter where Meek was doing some of his court-ordered community service, which the D.A. has said isn't for judges to do, but rather probation officers who report to the judge.
Meek's lawyer Jordan Siev confirmed the news, writing in a statement, “We are very pleased that the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office has confirmed to the Superior Court that Meek is entitled to have his conviction vacated." He continued, "The brief is also significant in that it marks the first time the DA has publicly outlined in writing that it supports Judge Brinkley’s recusal based on her ‘appearance of partiality’ and ‘public perception of unfairness and bias." Throughout his time representing the Philly rapper, Siev has spoken out against Brinkley's treatment of the case.
"The public perception of unfairness and bias is exactly what the court’s behavior has engendered here," D.A. Larry Krasner wrote in the extensive document. "The court abused its discretion when it imposed a two to four year state prison sentence based on the technical violations of probation in issue here." He added that Meek is no threat to the community, and since he's completed his drug treatment, he should be granted another, less-biased trial.
