Rapper Meek Mill again denied parole

When last we saw Robert Williams – AKA "Meek Mill" – it was Aug. 18 and the up-and-coming Philadelphia-born hip hop artist was in prison duds in a city courtroom as his legal team tried to convince Common Pleas Court Judge Genece E. Brinkley to parole him early from her three- to six-month sentence for violating probation from a 2009 gun and drug conviction.

Brinkley wasn't moved then and not much has changed. On Monday, Brinkley denied another petition for early parole filed by Williams' new lawyer, Tariq K. El-Shabazz, signaling that Williams, 27, will likely stay behind bars at least until his minimum sentence ends on Oct. 11.

El-Shabazz, a veteran Philadelphia lawyer and former city prosecutor, was not immediately available for comment.

For most of the last two years, Williams has been represented by veteran criminal defense lawyer Dennis J. Cogan – lawyer for former Pennsylvania State Senator Vincent Fumo -- and an associated lawyer, Gary Silver. Silver, especially, spent hours trying to coordinate Williams' burgeoning schedule of concerts, recording dates and personal appearances so the rapper would not run afoul of his probation officer.

But Williams and Silver were repeatedly called before Brinkley on complaints that Williams did not have a telephone where his probation officer could reach him, made last-minute unilateral changes to his out-of-town travel and failed to keep in contact.

The situation ignited on July 11. Brinkley said she had made it clear to Silver on May 9 that the rapper would have to table his career from July 11 to August 11 while she resolved his probationary problems. When Brinkley learned at the hearing that Williams was to be in Washington, D.C. that night for a concert, she ordered him into custody. The rapper never made that D.C. concert — or any since.

Cogan said he made a final effort to have the state Supreme Court take emergency jurisdiction of Williams' case because what he called fundamental violations of Williams' Constitutional rights. On Sept. 24, the state's high court granted Cogan's request for emergency jurisdiction – but then declined his requested relief.

"That was it," Cogan said. "I got myself out."

Assistant District Attorney Noel Ann DeSantis said Brinkley did not file a memorandum explaining the reason for her latest denial of early parole this Monday.

In prior hearings, however, Brinkley has made no secret of the fact that she doesn't believe Williams takes her or his probation seriously. Or, as Brinkley put it: "He's thumbing his nose at me."

Last year, Brinkley ordered Williams to take etiquette lessons to learn how to act in person and online, where the rapper tended to air his complaints about the judge, DeSantis and his probation officer in less-than-flattering street terms. And at the Aug. 18 hearing Brinkley ordered the rapper to complete three more prison courses: anger management, parenting skills — he has a son, 3 — and drug and alcohol counseling.

"If you don't complete them," Brinkley warned, "you'll do the whole six months."

Since then, DeSantis said, Williams has been transferred from the city's Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility, where he was in protective custody, to Hoffman Hall, a privately run prison facility in the 3900 block of D Street in North Philadelphia that's under contract with the Philadelphia prison system. DeSantis said the facility offers the courses Brinkley ordered Williams to complete.

Meanwhile, Williams' career as Meek Mill remains on ice and his advocates say it's costing him millions in cancelled concert and appearance dates and hazarding his future success and the security of employees and family who count on him. The Sept. 9 launch of Meek Mill's new album, Dreams Worth More Than Money, was cancelled though Rick Ross, the founder of Maybach Music Group, has publicly said it will be released as soon as Williams is.

Though no longer Williams' lawyer, Cogan said he still feels his client was wronged: "Most people wind up in jail because they don't have jobs. He's in jail because he's working too much."