Van Jones Believes Meek Mill's 2008 Conviction Will Be Overturned In 3-6 Weeks

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Van Jones (L) presents Meek Mill with award onstage at the Billboard 2018 R&B Hip-Hop Power Players event at Legacy Records on September 27, 2018 in New York City.

Van Jones provides an update on Meek Mill's case.

We're halfway through 2019 and Meek Mill is still on probation for a drugs and weapons conviction from 2008. But the rapper and his legal team are still fighting hard to have his conviction overturned. Meek showed up in court today to make a case to get his conviction tossed out. Although there wasn't a ruling made today for a retrial, the CEO of REFORM Alliance is feeling optimistic that Meek will finally get the justice he deserves by the end of the summer.

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Speaking to the press outside of the Pennsylvania Superior Court, Van Jones broke down what he thinks will likely happen down the line in the case. Meek and his legal team have asked for a retrial on the case due to credibility issues with the cop who testified against Meek and the current judge on the case. Judge Genece Brinkley has been accused of having a personal grudge against Meek. She later sentenced Meek to 2 to 4 years in prison for popping a wheelie. 

"This hearing was an extraordinary moment where you have attorneys on both sides saying that a new trial should go forward," Van Jones told reporters. "The judges themselves seem convinced that the underlying facts are not at dispute: The cop that put Meek Mill in prison is completely not credible, number one. Number two, both sides of this case put forward multiple credible reasons that there should be a new trial. No judge disputed a single claim from either side," he continued. "If a new trial is ordered, it is hard for us to imagine the District Attorney being able to move forward. We think we are three to six weeks away from a decision in this case that will right an injustice that has been on the books and ruining Meek Mill's life."

Peep the clip below. 

About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.