As more details arise about the widespread corruption and alleged lies surrounding Meek Mill’s 2007 conviction – and subsequent decade-long probation – it seems more likely that he will be free sooner than later. WHYY.org reports that prosecutors are “not opposed” to releasing Meek Mill while he’s appealing his sentence for a probation violation. He’s currently serving an egregious 2-to-4 year sentence for a probation violation, but the very conviction that instituted the probation is in question. Reginald Graham was Meek Mill’s arresting officer and the sole witness in his case. He’s been exposed by former peers and a Rolling Stone feature as a member of a corrupt narcotics unit with a history of outright framing people in order to convict them. He’s also on a list of people the Philly DA’s office believes are “unfit” to testify on cases.
There are now questions about whether Meek did the alleged drug transaction that allowed Graham to get a warrant to raid his residence– and whether Meek actually raised his gun toward Graham during the raid. Meek’s family says he was at the courthouse at the time Graham said he witnessed Meek conduct the drug transaction on a confidential informant. Curiously, there was also never a lab test conducted on the coke Graham may or may not have seized from Meek.
Legal experts told Rolling Stone that a missing lab test would have been grounds for a mistrial in Meek’s case, because without proof of the drugs there would have been no warrant – and no chance for Meek to allegedly point a weapon at an officer. One of the officers involved in the raid signed a sworn affidavit stating that Meek never pointed his weapon at an officer. This mounting evidence is why Philadelphia prosecutors have said that there is a “strong likelihood” that Meek’s conviction could be reversed. While Meek admitted in court that he had a Sig Sauer handgun on him during the raid, the possession charge (on his first offense) would have likely resulted in a lesser sentence than what he has ultimately served.
Given that Meek has already been incarcerated or on house arrest for more than two years, the tedious appeal process (which could take up to a year) could result in an even more disproportionate sentence if charges are ultimately reversed. Not only is Meek looking at potential freedom, hoards of other incarcerated people arrested by Graham and his corrupt cohort are looking into having their own sentences reversed.
