Meek Mill's Judge Refuses To Leave Case After Surprise Release

Meek Mill in a music video

Meek Mill is a free man, but the rapper has more legal headaches to deal with in the future. Although Mill was immediately released from prison yesterday by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania over a drug and weapon conviction from 2008, the musician hasn't won over Judge Genece C. Brinkley. In fact, the judge is reportedly refusing to leave the case, even though Supreme Court has invited her to step aside. Brinkley claims she'll continue to give Mike Mill a fair shake, and insists that she has remained fair from the start, though June's upcoming hearing is already causing concern.

TMZ reported on Meek Mill's legal update. A. Charles Peruto, Jr., Judge Genece Brinkley's lawyer, is the one who made the claim about the judge's proclaimed fair-mindedness about Meek Mill's case. The lawyer also says the judge doesn't believe the Pennsylvania Supreme Court repudiated her rulings in any way when it ordered the rapper to be released without bail the other day, pending the upcoming hearing. Judge Brinkley also reports that she will not necessarily side with the persecutor or Meek's lawyer in their plea to dismiss the conviction. The upcoming hearing will determine whether or not the case should be thrown out based on a testimony of Reginald Graham, an ex-cop who was reportedly revealed to be crooked. Other officers are expected to testify in court, Judge Brinkley notes, and the judge will decide her ruling based on what they have to say in the upcoming summer trial.

Since Meek Mill was released from prison, the musician has been welcomed by the community-at-large. Mill was seen at last night's Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat game, where he even rang the bell. The musician was previously sentenced to two-to-four years in the slammer, something Judge Genece Brinkley claims wasn't excessive. But Meek Mill keeps fighting. On social media, the recently-freed musician released the following statement to his fans and followers in connection to this ongoing trail.

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.

Additional updates on Meek Mill's case will be provided in the months to come, particularly based on how it is ruled and whether or not it is ruled by Judge Genece Brinkley. It sounds like it's going to be an uphill battle for the musician, but he continues to proclaim his innocence, just as Brinkley continues to claim her even-handed ruling approach. What will become of the upcoming trial is unclear, especially if the Supreme Court is suggesting the currently-sitting judge step away from this particular trail. For the time being at least, though, it sounds like she isn't budging, which could prove troublesome for Meek Mill.

Will Ashton

Will is an entertainment writer based in Pittsburgh, PA. His writing can also be found in The Playlist, Cut Print Film, We Got This Covered, The Young Folks, Slate and other outlets. He also co-hosts the weekly film/TV podcast Cinemaholics with Jon Negroni and he likes to think he's a professional Garfield enthusiast.