Meek Mill's 2008 Conviction Thrown Out, Retrial Unlikely
Meek Mill '08 Conviction Thrown Out ... Retrial Unlikely
UPDATE
10:54 AM PT -- Meek's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, just told us on "TMZ Live" this may be justice delayed but definitely not justice denied, adding there's a silver lining for the criminal justice system and Meek himself. As for whether they'll file a civil lawsuit, well, don't hold your breath.
UPDATE
UPDATE
9:57 AM PT -- Sources connected to the case tell TMZ it is "highly, highly unlikely" prosecutors will refile the case and retry Meek, for several reasons -- their main witness is a dirty cop with no credibility, the case is 12 years old and memories have faded, and Meek has already been through hell with Judge Brinkley.
Meek Mill is getting a second shot at justice -- his 2008 gun conviction was just thrown out ... and he's being granted a new trial AND a new judge to re-fight the charge.
A panel of judges handed down their decision Wednesday in Pennsylvania Superior Court -- saying Meek does in fact deserve a new trial, with a new jury ... and most importantly a new judge who ISN'T Judge Genece Brinkley ... who many believe had it out for him the first time around.
Meek celebrated the decision on social media, writing ... "As of right now I’m not on probation and I am not a felon anymore," adding a bunch of praying hands. He went on to say, "today was mega!!!"
As we reported, the key witness in the case turned out to be a dirty cop. Even the prosecutor wanted a new trial -- especially after Meek was released from prison over a year ago -- but Judge Brinkley wouldn't budge. This time around, a panel of 3 judges who were not previously involved in the case unanimously made the decision to throw out the conviction.
You'll recall ... Meek has been through the ringer over the past two years in Philly. He was thrown back in prison back in the fall of 2017 after Judge Brinkley found that he'd violated his probation on at least two occasions from recent arrests ... one for allegedly getting into a fight at an airport, and another for reckless driving.
Despite both cases being dropped, Judge Brinkley found that the arrests alone were violations of his probation from his '08 case ... and harshly sentenced him to a 2-4 year prison sentence.
Meek was locked up for a little while -- with many people fighting for his freedom from the outside -- until finally in April of 2018 ... he was cut loose by the Supreme Court of PA, which overruled Judge Brinkley, who refused to let him out. He walked out of prison and straight to a Philadelphia 76ers game right afterward, with his entire journey documented from helicopter.
4/24/18
Meek just said, "I'd like to thank the Pennsylvania Superior Court judges for their wisdom and their 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."
He goes on ... "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."
Meek makes it clear, not everyone is this lucky ... "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."
Meek's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, who has been a stalwart in the fight to overturn the conviction, says, "In this case although justice was delayed it was not denied!"
Originally Published -- 9:38 AM PT
