Meek Mill is finally a free man. After a 12 year battle with an initial gun charge stemming from 2007, prosecutors have made an agreement with Mill’s team to close the case, Billboard reports.
He reportedly pled guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge and will not face time in prison or probation violations. For more than a decade, the “Going Bad” rapper was on probation and forced to live under strict guidelines, which made it hard to tend to his career.
“I’m extremely grateful that my long legal battle is finally behind me and I appreciate that it has sparked a much-needed discussion about probation reform and the inequalities that exist within our two Americas,” Mill said after the court mandate. “I have always told the truth—that as a teenager, who saw many around me die from senseless gun violence, I carried a gun for protection.”
Throughout the case’s course, Meek spent an estimated two years in prison for minor offenses like using painkillers and travel violations. For most of the case, he faced Judge Genece Brinkley. According to several reports, she requested controversial things like him featuring her in a remake of a Boyz II Men song or showing up to his community service duties.
District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office complied with the 32-year-old’s appeal and stated they would not call the original officer who arrested him because of an internal investigation, which proved that he stole money while on the job and denied it.
After his victory, Mill hopes to remain a pillar of hope for those who are facing a similar plight. “I take responsibility for that and—in conjunction with my work on the REFORM Alliance—I’ll continue to use my platform to make communities safer and reform our criminal justice system,” he said.
