Lawyers for incarcerated rapper Meek Mill are taking their appeal for bail back to the Pennsylvania Superior Court after having their motion shot down by a Philadelphia judge.
Common Pleas Judge Genece Brinkley denied a request to release the Ima Boss hitmaker from prison pending appeal on Monday (04Dec17), branding him a "flight risk" who was a "danger to the community".
She had sentenced Meek, real name Robert Rihmeek Williams, to serve two-to-four years behind bars last month (Nov17) after violating his probation relating to a 2008 drug and gun bust.
The hip-hop star's legal representatives have been fighting the ruling ever since, and after Monday's setback, they filed new paperwork with officials at the higher court, insisting the reasons Brinkley listed for her decision are "inapt and unpersuasive".
According to the petition, obtained by XXLmag.com, his lawyers insist the claim that Meek poses a "risk to the safety of others" is "unsupported and unfair".
They are now asking officials at the Pennsylvania Superior Court to rule on the matter.
The higher court judges had previously declined to rule on an emergency motion for bail last week (ends01Dec17), declaring it needed to be heard in the Court of Common Pleas first, and now that has occurred, Meek's lawyers insist the Superior Court is the rapper's only option to try for bail.
Defence lawyer Joe Tacopina previously blasted Brinkley for allegedly punishing the star with prison time after he laughed off her request for a shout-out in a song, and snubbed her suggestion to dump his management team at JAY-Z's Roc Nation firm and sign with Philadelphia music figure Charlie Mack.
Mack, who previously worked with Meek early on in his career, has denied any links to Brinkley. The judge is also said to be facing an FBI investigation over her reported actions.
