Meek Mill has been granted a new hearing that could lead to a court overturning his 2008 conviction on drug and gun charges.
Per Philadelphia NBC affiliate WCAU, the new hearing was approved after the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office successfully appealed the Pennsylvania Superior Court for a new trial and a new judge, to replace the controversial Judge Genece Brinkley. The rapper’s new appellate court hearing will take place at the Superior Court of Pennsylvania July 16th.
“We’re looking forward to the oral argument before the Superior Court of Pennsylvania and to, hopefully, having Meek’s conviction vacated,” said Meek Mill’s lawyer, Jordan Siev, in a statement. “In light of the District Attorney’s recent filing, where he supports the granting of a new trial to Meek and the recusal of Judge Brinkley, we hope to have this injustice rectified once and for all.”
Meek Mill and his legal team have been fighting for a new trial based on allegations that his arresting officer, Reginald Graham, gave false testimony (Graham is currently a “Do Not Call” to testify list set up by Philadelphia D.A. Larry Krasner). Graham was the only government witness to testify during Meek Mill’s trial, and he claimed the rapper was selling drugs and posting a gun at police officers at the time of his arrest. Meek Mill denied the allegation and Graham’s fellow officer, Jerold Gibson, later submitted a sworn affidavit agreeing with Meek Mill’s story.
On top of the issues surrounding Graham, Meek Mill and his lawyers have been petitioning to have Judge Brinkley removed from the case (a previous effort was denied last year). Judge Brinkley notably refused to void Meek Mill’s guilty verdict following the revelations about Graham, while the rapper has also accused her of being overly harsh with jail time for technical violations and even making strange requests, like urging him to leave Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and sign with a Philadelphia manager.
