District Attorney Krasner Statement on Plea Agreement Resolving Commonwealth v. Robert Williams (Meek Mill)
PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
CONTACT: Jane Roh, 215–686–8711, jane.roh@phila.gov
PHILADELPHIA (Aug. 27, 2019) — District Attorney Larry Krasner on Tuesday issued the following statement on the resolution of Commonwealth v. Robert Williams (Meek Mill):
“Today, Robert Williams (Meek Mill) pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor firearms violation that he committed at the time of his arrest in Philadelphia more than a decade ago. All other charges have been dropped. His negotiated sentence is No Further Penalty, meaning there is no further sentence of incarceration and no further supervision (on probation or parole).
“Following a careful review by my office of Mr. Williams’ decade-plus-long involvement in the justice system, I know two things to be true: Mr. Williams was unfairly treated in a case that exemplifies the destruction caused by excessive supervision, instances of corruption, and unfair processes in our criminal courts; and Mr. Williams was also guilty of illegally possessing a firearm on the day he was arrested, a fact that he has established by his own testimony and public statements for years.
“Mr. Williams has demonstrated significant rehabilitation; he has evolved and grown. This office commends him both for taking responsibility for his crime and for his work to improve society by changing a criminal justice system that too often lacks integrity, is biased, is unfair, and is overly punitive in ways that make us all less safe. The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office is hopeful that Mr. Williams will continue his good work in ways that will help the criminal justice system to similarly evolve and grow.”
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The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office is the largest prosecutor’s office in Pennsylvania, and one of the largest in the nation. It serves the more than 1.5 million citizens of the City and County of Philadelphia, employing 600 lawyers, detectives and support staff. The District Attorney’s Office is responsible for prosecution of over 40,000 criminal cases annually.
