Rap superstar Meek Mill took to a podium on the courthouse steps in Philadelphia to speak to a crowd of supporters and hometown dignitaries about probation reform. As most of you know, he recently spent more than five months in jail over a probation violation.
That jail time put his multi-million dollar career full of endorsements and business obligations on hold, and ruffled the feathers of the rapper’s powerful investors.
The reason the judge violated Meek Mill’s probation? He popped a wheelue on his motor bike.
It’s that kind of stupidity that Meek spoke about today, saying…
“I’ve lost too much time away from my son, my family, my friends and fans in Philly because of outdated probation laws, so I want to make sure people don’t have to go through what I did.”
He and CNN’s Van Jones are supporting House Bill 1925, which would scrap antiquated probation violations, and stop the practice of judges adding more probation time simply over nonpayment of fines and fees.
Meek had the support of Philadelphia 76’s boss, Michael Rubin, who was in attendance today, among others. Having a story to tell has made the rapper a symbol of reform and gained him the Key to several large cities across the country.
We’ll see if Philly can start a turn in the country toward real probation reform. Until the next time it drips…
