Meek Mill’s lawyer wants judge removed from case

Meek Mill’s lawyer is planning to formally request a new judge to oversee the rapper’s probation violation appeal after he was handed a two-to-four year sentence.

On Monday (06Nov17), Pennsylvania judge Genece Brinkley ruled Mill, real name Robert Rihmeek Williams, should serve at least two years behind bars for breaking the terms of his probation from a 2008 drug and gun bust after agreeing to plea deals following two arrests earlier this year (17).

Her punishment came as a surprise to Mill and his lawyer, Joe Tacopina, as the prosecutors in the case had recommended he be spared jail.

Mill checked in to prison on Wednesday (08Nov17), but his legal representative has already started working on his client’s appeal and he is now seeking to remove Brinkley from the case altogether, citing a number of accusations of misconduct.

Among the incidents Tacopina will be detailing in his court filing includes the judge’s alleged recommendation that Meek record a cover of Boys II Men’s On Bended Knee and give her a ‘shout out’ – an idea the rapper scoffed at last year (16).

According to Tacopina, Meek’s ex-girlfriend, Nicki Minaj, was a witness to the exchange, which took place in the judge’s chambers after she requested a private chat during a hearing.

The lawyer also alleges Brinkley told Meek to leave his deal at Roc Nation and sign to her friend’s management firm.

“Based on her conduct over the years, we knew there was an issue,” Tacopina told The Fader. “His probation was supposed to end in 2013, and here it is, nearly 2018, and he’s still on probation for technical violations, travel violations – just doing work, which nobody gets violated for. It’s allowed her to extend her control over him for another five years.”

He went on to state he plans to ask court officials to “recuse (Judge Brinkley) from any consideration in this case,” adding, “We will do whatever we need to do to make sure this perversion of justice is corrected.” musicnews.com