US rapper Meek Mill has been granted a new trial on drugs and weapons charges that date back to his teenage years after a long legal battle. Three judges in Pennsylvania ruled there were credibility issues with his original trial in 2008.
Meek Mill, whose real name is Robert Rihmeek Williams, said that the
past 11 years had been "mentally and emotionally challenging" but
that he was "ecstatic that justice prevailed".
The rapper, who was jailed in August 2017 for a minor
probation violation for reckless driving as he rode a dirt bike
during filming of a music video, now campaigns for criminal justice reform.
He has been supported by celebrities and campaigners who say the system treats
minorities more harshly.
Although the charges were later dropped, a judge ruled
the arrest itself was a breach of his probation and he was jailed that November
for up to four years - prompting an outcry from Jay-Z, Beyonce and others who
campaigned to free him.
He was released after five months
after Pennsylvania's top court granted him bail.
His group, the Reform Alliance,
says it aims to "dramatically reduce the number of people who are unjustly
under the control of the criminal justice system, starting with probation and
parole".
Kin
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