Meek Mill’s decade-plus battle against the criminal justice system is over.
The 32-year-old rapper recently pled guilty to misdemeanor drug and gun charges that stemmed from a 2007 arrest; under this plea deal, which was carefully negotiated by prosecutors and Mill’s lawyers, Mill’s remaining charges were waved, as was his probation.
During the last 12 years, Meek Mill has faced an uphill legal battle against the charges levied against him. As part of his sentence, Mill was jailed for two years, and once he’d received parole (for eight years), he was accused of several violations.
The first of these violations came in 2014, and Mill returned to jail for several months. He next received a 90-day house arrest sentence (again for a minor parole violation), and in 2017, he spent five months behind bars after it was alleged that he once again failed to follow the orders of his parole officer.
Meek Mill has long disputed the validity of the charges against him, and his struggles were documented in a five-part series, Free Meek, that debuted on Amazon earlier this month.
In July, a Pennsylvania Appeals Court judge overturned Meek’s 2008 conviction and requested that a new trial take place. Meek Mill’s supporters allege bias on the part of the judge who originally handled the case, and Meek’s arduous time in the court system prompted the newly assigned prosecutors to seek a plea deal.
The credibility of the officer who arrested Meek was also called into question.
Now, for the first time in over a decade, Meek Mill is free to travel and do as he pleases.
Meek’s newest album, Championship, was released in 2018 and received acclaim from both fans and critics. The 19-track album also quickly topped numerous chart-rankings.
This year, Meek Mill teamed up with Future for The Legendary Nights Tour. The extensive tour will continue through the end of September, with remaining concerts scheduled for New York, Texas, Florida, Virginia, Massachusetts, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Louisiana, and Connecticut.
Previously, Mill’s touring career was hampered by tight-leash parole restrictions.