Rapper Meek Mill finally turned the page on Tuesday of a judicial saga of more than ten years which made it a symbol of the dysfunctions of the American justice. "I'm extremely happy that my long legal battle is finally behind me," the 32-year-old artist tweeted relieved as he stepped out of a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, court.
Sentenced in 2008 for possession of weapons and narcotics, Robert Williams, his real name, had spent six months in detention before receiving early release, with judicial review. He was again detained in November 2017 for violating the terms of this control, leaving the county without authorization to perform concerts and undergoing several positive drug tests. He had then enjoyed a surge of sympathy and, after an appeal, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered his release in April 2018.
His legal troubles fed the debate on the racist bias of certain laws
A plea-guilty agreement allowed Tuesday to lift the latest charges against him. "I know the road has been long for you and I hope that will mark the end," judge Leon Tucker told the court, local media reports said. The rapper's legal troubles had fed into the United States the debate over the racist bias of certain laws.
"What happens to Meek Mill is just one example of how our criminal system locks in and harasses hundreds of thousands of blacks every day," said another prominent rapper, Jay-Z, in November 2017.
Meek Mill said he appreciated Tuesday that his highly publicized case "has provoked a necessary debate on the reform of the parole system and the inequalities that exist in our two Americas." "It is important now to focus our energies on helping the millions of people unfairly trapped in our justice system," he added.
At least 61,250 people are being held in the United States for minor violations of their parole, according to a recent survey by the US nonprofit organization The Marshall Project.