After Pennsylvania Superior Court officials agree to hear the defence team's arguments, lawyer Jordan Siev expresses hope 'to have this injustice rectified once and for all.'
- June 5, 2019
AceShowbiz - Rapper Meek Mill has been granted a court hearing in his bid to overturn his 2008 gun and drug conviction.
The "Dreams and Nightmares" star, real name Robert Williams, has been fighting for a new trial in the 11-year-old case ever since serving a five-month sentence for a minor probation violation in 2017.
Pennsylvania's Judge Genece Brinkley had ordered him to serve two to four years behind bars, but lawyers for both the defence and prosecution insisted the sentence was excessive, and Meek was released in April, 2018.
During that time, it was also revealed that the original arresting officer had been involved in a massive police corruption scandal, leading to calls for a new trial for Meek.
Brinkley rejected the rapper's initial appeal last year (2018), but in May, Philadelphia's District Attorney publicly called on city lawmakers to retry Meek's case with a new judge, amid allegations of unfair bias against the star, and now Pennsylvania Superior Court officials have agreed to at least hear the defence team's arguments for challenging the conviction.
The hearing is due to take place in Philadelphia on July 16.
"We're looking forward to the oral argument before the Superior Court of Pennsylvania and to, hopefully, having Meek's conviction vacated," defence lawyer Jordan Siev tells The Associated Press 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."
