Meek Mill's Lawyers Questioning Judge Genece Brinkley's Fitness To Preside Case By Bringing Up Lawsuit
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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Meek Mill's bid to have his case moved to another judge was shot down in court on Wednesday. Now, the rapper's lawyers are accusing the judge who sentenced Mill of being biased and unfit to do her job.
Mill's lawyers had hoped to persuade a supervising judge on Wednesday to reassign the case the case and removing it from Judge Genece Brinkley's oversight.
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"She had the ability on April 16 to grant a new trial because the DA asked her to grant a new trial. In every other case in which the district attorney has asked for a new trial defendants have gotten it immediately. Fifteen-hundred cases have all been treated the same way, it will be up to 2,000 by the time I get done talking, why is ours being treated differently?" said attorney Brian McMonagle.
Supervising Judge Leon Tucker went back and forth with the artist's lawyers for close to 45 minutes. He eventually concluded he wouldn't pull rank on a fellow judge.
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"Look what's happened in the last eight months. There is no way to get a fair adjournment in front of Judge Brinkley," said attorney Joe Tacopina.
What's already been a fiery war of words between the two sides got a splash of gasoline after Wednesday's hearing. Mill's lawyers questioned Brinkley's fitness to preside, bringing up a lawsuit she recently filed.
In federal court, Brinkley is suing a couple after a 2016 car crash in St. Maarten. She claims to have sustained severe head trauma, a concussion, dizziness, headaches and holes and tears in the retinas of both eyes.
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"She's called into question her ability to sit in this case, or any case, quite frankly," said Tacopina.
Charles Peruto, who represents Brinkley, said the crash from two years ago has no effect on the judge's decision-making. He also said we are in uncharted territory, saying the defense has engaged in name-calling and that he believes the attorneys are afraid to go in front of her.
