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PENNSYLVANIA RECORD

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill released from prison

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After serving five months in a Philadelphia prison, rapper Meek Mill can resume his music career following his release Tuesday afternoon. The rising star's parole was revoked by Judge Genese Brinkley in July following an altercation and outburst at a probation office.

Mill, born Robert Williams, was near the end of serving a five year probation following his conviction in 2009 for drug and gun possession. Brinkley ordered the probation clock to reset and directed Mill to enroll in anger management and parenting classes.

As the 30-year old's rap career started taking off, his relationship with the Philadelphia legal system grew more strained, including a lawsuit filed last year against the city police department over a 2012 traffic stop. According to the suit, police officers pulled over a Range Rover SUV driven by Williams in the area of 11th Street and Girard Avenue in Philadelphia without cause or justification.

Williams was subsequently handcuffed and transported to the 22nd Police District, where the officers took photographs of Williams, images that subsequently posted to Instagram and other social media sites.

The images depicted Williams in police custody, where he was allegedly held against his will for nine hours before his Nov. 2, 2012, release, the lawsuit states.

Williams was never charged with any criminal activity, the lawsuit claims, and the ordeal caused the plaintiff to miss a scheduled promotional appearance in Atlanta for the release of his debut album.

A jury ruled against Mill's complaint in May 2014, finding that the traffic stop did not violate Mill's Fourth Amendment rights. During testimony, the officers told the jury that the SUV had been pulled over because of dark tinting on the windows.

The officers detected the odor of marijuana and placed Mill and his passengers into custody until a search warrant could be obtained. After the search yielded no drugs and Williams’ blood test came back negative, no charges were filed. By then, the hip-hop artist had already missed his flight, he claimed.

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