Jailed rapper Meek Mill will be freed later on Tuesday, Page Six has learned.
A Philadelphia court finally ruled that Meek could go free after it was revealed the officer who arrested him back in 2007 was on a secret DA’s list of allegedly corrupt cops.
The dramatic move comes after an outcry from friends and stars, including Jay-Z and Kevin Hart, after Meek was harshly sentenced to two to four years in jail for a minor probation violation.
In a statement to Page Six from the rapper’s lawyer Joe Tacopina, Meek said:
“I’d like to thank God, my family, my friends, my attorneys, my team at Roc Nation including Jay Z, Desiree Perez, my good friend Michael Rubin, my fans, The Pennsylvania Supreme Court and all my public advocates for their love, support and encouragement during this difficult time. While the past five months have been a nightmare, the prayers, visits, calls, letters and rallies have helped me stay positive. To the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office, I’m grateful for your commitment to justice – not only for my case, but for others that have been wrongfully jailed due to police misconduct. Although I’m blessed to have the resources to fight this unjust situation, I understand that many people of color across the country don’t have that luxury and I plan to use my platform to shine a light on those issues. In the meantime, I plan to work closely with my legal team to overturn this unwarranted conviction and look forward to reuniting with my family and resuming my music career.”
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court freed Meek even though the judge in his case, Genece Brinkley, had refused to grant him bail. The Supreme Court overruled Brinkley to grant Meek immediate bail.
The Superior Court said in its ruling Tuesday, “The Commonwealth has recently stated, on the record in open court, that there are credibility issues with a police officer who was a ‘critical witness’ at Petitioner’s trial. As such, the Commonwealth agreed that Petitioner is entitled to PCRA relief. Moreover, as reflected in filings in this Court, the Commonwealth has stated it is not opposed to Petitioner being granted immediate bail.”
The rapper is expected to walk free from the State Correctional Institution in Chester, where he has been incarcerated for five months for his probation violation, in the next few hours.
Billionaire Michael Rubin, an owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and longtime friend of Meek who has campaigned for the rapper’s release, told Page Six, “I am elated the Supreme Court stepped in and did the right thing. They ruled he should immediately be released on bail immediately, and his case will be thrown out by the District Attorney.”
Meek had called Page Six from jail just over a week ago, saying he felt he was a “political prisoner,” a victim of a flawed criminal justice system that keeps black men in jail for crimes they didn’t commit.