Meek Mill to Be Released From Prison Tonight

Jailed rapper Meek Mill is being released from prison on bail following a ruling from Pennsylvania’s highest court.The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered his release Tuesday after a long  battle dating to November when the Philadelphia rapper was sentenced to 2 to 4 years in prison for violating his probation. Avicii’s Family Thanks Fans for Support After His Death “We are thrilled that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has directed Judge Brinkley to immediately issue an order releasing Meek on bail,” lawyer Joe Tacopina said in a statement. “As we have said all along, Meek was unjustly convicted and should not have spent a single day in jail.”In the decision, Pennsylvania’s highest court cited the credibility of Mill’s arresting officer, Reginald Graham, who was since been identified on a list of so-called dirty cops in Philadelphia.  Cosby Jury to Decide: Serial Rapist or Con Artist’s Mark Tuesday’s court order answered many of the concerns presented in court by Mill’s legal team and by the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. Last week, assistant DA Liam Riley expressed support for a new trial after learning that Mill’s arresting officer and his testimony could not be trusted. Earlier, the Philly DA’s office also expressed support for releasing the rapper on jail. But Brinkley denied both bail and a new hearing last week, instead scheduling an evidentiary hearing in June.  Key Oscars Dates Announced “Meek is excited to be reunited with his family, and we, along with Meek, intend to continue to shine the light on a justice system in need of reform to prevent any other citizen from being put through what Meek has endured,” Tacopina said.The state’s highest court also noted that Common Pleas Judge Genece Brinkley could recuse herself from presiding over any further legal proceedings, Tacopina said.Since Mill’s jailing, the State Correctional Institution in Chester has become a pilgrimage site for some of the most powerful people in sports, politics and entertainment. Civil rights advocate Rev. Al Sharpton, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, and Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney have all visited Mill there. Actor and comedian Kevin Hart and Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin were just there hours before the court ruling.Rap icon Jay-Z wrote an op-ed in the New York Times last November citing Mill’s jailing as a symbol of systemic racism in the U.S. criminal justice system. “Instead of a second chance, probation ends up being a land mine, with a random misstep bringing consequences greater than the crime,” he wrote. While Mill is expected to be released from prison Tuesday, the timing is not known. Represenatives for the prison and courts did not have details.As for where Mill will go, Ruben, the Sixers owner, posted to Instgram that he was returning to Chester to pick Mill up. Rumors are flying that the rapper could appear at the Wells Fargo Center Tuesday night where the Sixers are set to take on the Miami Heat for game five in the NBA playoffs.This story is breaking. Please check back for updates. Photo Credit: Matt Rourke/AP
Source: NBC San Diego