Crime & Arrests

Meek Mill's been getting a raw deal from Judge Genece Brinkley and deserves a new trial without her on the bench ... and that's according to the District Attorney in Philly.

The D.A.'s Office just filed new docs in Pennsylvania Superior Court stating Judge Brinkley's appearance of bias has been evident throughout the case ... and therefore, Meek should be retried in his probation violation case.

You'll recall, Judge Brinkley sentenced Meek to 2 to 4 years in state prison -- which was eventually set aside when Meek was released in April 2018 ... promptly boarding a chopper with 76ers owner Michael Rubin.

Since then, he appealed and asked for a new trial, but Judge Brinkley shot him down last June ... refusing to grant the retrial.

It's kind of extraordinary ... with Wednesday's filing, you now have the D.A. on the record siding with the defendant. In the docs, obtained by TMZ, the D.A. calls out Brinkley's bias against Meek ... singling out a surprise visit she made to a homeless shelter where Meek was doing court-ordered community service.

The D.A. points out that's not what judges do ... that's for probation officers who report back to the judge. According to the docs, Brinkley also "abused her discretion" when she hit him with the 2 to 4 year sentence for "technical violations" of his probation. Still, she has repeatedly refused to recuse herself from the case.

Even the D.A. says Meek serves no threat to the community, and had completed drug treatment -- and, therefore, deserves another shot in court ... sans Brinkley.

Lil' Kim and Lil' Cease still have a crush on each other after all these years of bad blood -- and they finally got together to bury the hatchet for the one and only Notorious B.I.G.

The former Junior M.A.F.I.A. members reunited Tuesday night in NYC, where a huge party was thrown at TAO Downtown in honor of what would've been Biggie's 47th birthday. This appears to be the first time the two have interacted publicly since their falling out in 2005.

In case you're unfamiliar, Cease testified against Kim during her federal perjury trial -- which helped prosecutors' case against her when she was found to have lied to a grand jury about a shooting she'd witnessed. Kim spent a year in prison for it.

She denounced Cease and other JM members after she got out, calling their testimony a betrayal and a breaking of street code. Cease defended himself, insisting he wasn't a snitch since he'd been subpoenaed and had no choice but to tell the truth on the stand.

That all seems to be water under a bridge between LK and LC -- both of whom were incredibly close to Biggie when he was alive and have recorded a number of songs together ... including their '96 hit, "Crush on You."

Kim and Cease were seen hanging out together with a bunch of their famous pals, like Busta Rhymes, Cedric the Entertainer, Jadakiss and other hip-hop heads too.

Kodak Black has criminal cases to deal with in multiple states, and his latest arrest in Miami is complicating things, big time ... so he's begging the judge for an assist.

As we've reported ... the rapper was arrested 11 days ago during the Rolling Loud festival, and though he was granted a pre-trial release -- if he can post a $500k bond -- the feds are appealing that and want to keep him behind bars.

Kodak's problem is he's also facing a serious felony charge in South Carolina for sexual misconduct, and needs to appear in court to stand trial. So, he's proposing a compromise to the federal judge in Florida ... let me out, but keep me under 24-hour surveillance while I'm traveling.

In new docs, the rapper says he still wants out on bond, and proposes a system of nonstop, round-the-clock supervision to ensure he makes all of his required court appearances ... and then gets back to Florida.

Fatboy SSE -- the comedic social media influencer co-starring with Master P in his "I Got the Hook Up" sequel -- hooked up with cops who busted him for marijuana and outstanding warrants.

According to cops in Jersey City, Fatboy was pulled over Monday night for a traffic violation. He was in the car with 2 other guys -- his manager and security guard -- and when cops ran his license, they discovered it was suspended. First mistake.

Second mistake? They found outstanding bench warrants ... which prompted a search of his car ... which is when cops say they found the weed.

Cops arrested Fatboy -- government name Tyriq Kimbrough -- for 1 count of possession of weed and bail jumping for the 2 bench warrants. Adding insult to injury, cops also slapped him with tickets for failure to observe a signal and driving on the suspended license.

Fatboy -- who has more than 5.5 million Instagram followers -- remains in custody.

His management posted a message on his IG page about the arrest, saying ... "If you have not been able to reach him this is why."

12:37 PM PT -- The 2-plus year legal drama will continue as Soules' sentencing has been delayed. It'll be rescheduled for a later date. Defense attorney Robert Montgomery made a last-ditch effort to get the court to throw out the victim impact statements ... and the judge agreed to grant the motion.

Because the victim impact statements were thrown out, the judge also granted a motion to draft a new pre-sentence investigation report ... requested by both the defense and prosecutors.

Former 'Bachelor' Chris Soules will finally learn his fate in his fatal car crash case when he arrives to court for his sentencing at 11:30 AM PT ... and TMZ will be streaming live.

Soules is expected to arrive in Buchanan County, Iowa court any moment now and finally put the 2-year-old case behind him when a judge hands down his sentencing. As we reported ... Soules struck a plea deal back in November 2018 ... pleading guilty to 1 count of leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, which is an aggravated misdemeanor.

It was a HUGE plea deal considering he initially pled not guilty to a felony charge of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. As we first reported ... Soules was behind the wheel of a Chevy pickup when it rear-ended a John Deere tractor, sending it into a ditch.

The driver was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where he died. Chris was the one who called 911 to report the accident but prosecutors said he fled the scene before cops got there. Soules was later arrested at his house, but not before refusing to come out at first.

Soules, who was "The Bachelor" for season 19 in 2015, could get up to 2 years in jail.

Stay tuned ...

The first accuser in the Kellen Winslow Jr. rape case is on the stand -- telling the court in graphic detail how the ex-NFL star raped her and then threatened to kill her in a supermarket parking lot.

The woman -- identified only as Jane Doe #1 -- is one of 3 accusers claiming she was raped by Winslow. Two other women in the case claim Winslow exposed himself in front of them.

During Tuesday's hearing, Jane Doe #1 -- a 54-year-old woman -- says she was hitchhiking in San Diego in 2018 when Winslow picked her up in a nice Jeep and took her to a Vons supermarket parking lot.

The woman says 35-year-old Winslow essentially mounted her in the car and forcibly raped her, causing her to bleed all over the place.

She claims Winslow eventually let her go but threatened her -- saying, "I'm going to f*cking kill you if you say anything and I'm going to kill you."

She added, "He threatened to kill me, and I really believe he would have."

Winslow is sitting in the courtroom and facing his accuser. He has previously denied ALL of the allegations ... insisting, "I am an innocent man."

He's facing multiple felony charges including kidnapping and forcible rape. If convicted on all counts, he faces life in prison.

MMA fighter Josh Copeland pled guilty to felony 2nd-degree assault in his domestic violence case -- stemming from allegations he punched his wife in the face during a heated altercation.

As we previously reported, Copeland -- 6'1", 265 lbs -- was arrested in Colorado on Feb. 2 after his wife told police he hit her so hard, her face was bloodied and bruised when cops arrived.

The woman had admitted she slapped Copeland in the face multiple times during the altercation -- but said he took things to another level of violence ... and then stole her phone so she couldn't call for help.

Copeland was originally hit with 4 criminal charges including felony assault, domestic violence, obstruction of telephone and child abuse (because the altercation allegedly took place in front of their son).

But now, a court official tells TMZ Sports ... Copeland appeared in court on Tuesday and cut a plea deal with prosecutors.

Long story short ... Copeland pled guilty to 2nd and 3rd-degree assault and in exchange, the other charges were dropped.

As for the sentence, Copeland was given 2 years probation -- and the judge noted he could be locked up if he doesn't stay out of trouble for the next 24 months.

Copeland is allowed to travel for work (he's a pro-MMA fighter) -- but he'll have to check in with the court in 2021 to make sure he's kept his nose clean.

Copeland is 18 and 6 as a pro-MMA fighter -- and even had a stint in the UFC in 2014 and 2015.

The man who allegedly killed Nipsey Hussle went off the rails shortly before the incident, and pistol-whipped a guy over a drug deal gone wrong ... this according to new witness statements submitted to prosecutors.

The L.A. County DA's Office got the account from 2 women who say a male friend told them he was attacked at his apartment by murder suspect Eric Holder ... just an hour before Nipsey's murder.

According to the statements ... Holder lived in the same building as the guy and they sometimes hung out and smoked pot. The guy's story goes like this -- Holder showed up at his place around 2 PM on March 31, and he was pissed. He accused the neighbor of selling him weed that was laced with some other drug.

They went into the hallway to talk, and according to the statements ... Holder was "breathing very heavily and appeared very excited and very agitated." When Holder got more hostile, the neighbor tried to return to his apartment but was allegedly pistol-whipped in the back of the head.

According to the statements ... the neighbor was knocked down, but still conscious and claims he saw the gun on the floor. He describes it as a "big silver gun" and "semi-automatic."

The neighbor got up and safely retreated to his apartment, but says Holder was "shaking and looked very nervous" before leaving.

The women -- repped by attorney Harley D. Breite -- claim their friend admits to selling Holder $10 worth of pot, but it was straight from a dispensary and not laced, to his knowledge.

The neighbor told the women he learned a few days later that Holder was the suspect in Nipsey's murder case, but he was afraid to report his encounter because he knows Holder's a gang member. Plus, he DID sell him marijuana.

We broke the story ... Hussle was shot around 3 PM in L.A. on March 31 and pronounced dead at 3:55 PM at a downtown hospital. Video of the incident shows a man -- believed to be Holder -- shooting Nipsey outside his Marathon clothing store.

Holder was arrested 2 days later and eventually charged with murder. It's unclear if Holder intends to raise the allegedly laced weed as part of his defense.

As we reported, he's been in the market for a new attorney since Christopher Darden quit the case after he and family members received death threats.

21 Savage is shooting down any theory the so-called "hip-hop cops" are behind a rash of rapper arrests -- himself included -- and instead says ... some rappers just ain't too bright when it comes to the law.

Savage was leaving TAO Monday night in Hollywood and we asked if he had any advice for Kodak Black, who's been in federal custody since his arrest at Rolling Loud more than a week ago. Savage immediately made it clear his situation is NOT the same as Kodak's and, his bigger point -- "The law is the law. You break the law, you gotta deal with the consequences."

You gotta see the clip, because the ATL rapper seemed to dismiss any talk of law enforcement setting up rappers, and instead said ... some people are just stupid, and they gotta own up to it when they are.

It is true, however ... his and Kodak's cases aren't the same deal.

TMZ broke the story ... the feds say fingerprints, car rental records and ballistics all point to Kodak's involvement in a Florida shooting. Meanwhile, Savage is dealing with a pending immigration issue that could potentially end with his deportation to the UK.

Kodak's looking at hard time in a federal prison. At worst, Savage will be rich and chilling in London.

Kim Kardashian West was destined to spearhead criminal justice reform and free prisoners; she just needed a spark ... according to Alice Marie Johnson, the woman who provided that spark.

Alice joined "TMZ Live" Monday to talk about Kim's continued efforts and success in getting non-violent drug offenders out from under life sentences. She says she's incredibly proud -- and impressed -- by what Kim's doing ... but not surprised.

We broke the story ... since helping Alice get out of prison last year, Kim's helped free 17 more inmates over a recent span of 90 days.

She's also studying to become a lawyer so she can be better equipped for her charitable work.

Alice tells us she believes this passion was always inside of Kim waiting to be unleashed, and once she took a chance on her case -- and took it all the way to the White House -- the floodgates were opened.

Johnson's story is the subject of her new memoir 'After Life' ... and Kim's role is obviously significant. Kim also wrote the foreword for the book, and Alice says it's a must-read thing of beauty ... straight from the heart.

Leonard Fournette's car troubles seem to be officially behind him ... the Jaguars star just copped a plea deal in his car wash arrest case -- and he won't have to spend any time behind bars for the incident.

As we previously reported ... Fournette was busted last month after cops say he was speeding with illegal tint on his windows in Florida.

When cops pulled him over at the Easy Breezy Car Wash in Jacksonville ... they learned he was also driving on a suspended license and had a warrant out for his arrest stemming from a previous traffic violation -- so they cuffed him.

Fournette was hit with multiple charges including driving on a suspended license and was facing up to 60 days in jail.

But, the good news for the 24-year-old ... he paid off the fines from his previous traffic issues and when his attorney showed up in court Monday -- he struck a deal with prosecutors on the new charges too.

Court records show Fournette pled no contest to driving without a valid driver's license, and in exchange, his speeding and illegal tint charges were dropped.

Leonard was forced to pay roughly $300 in fines and court fees.

11:47 AM PT -- Unser was so drunk, he couldn't stand up straight and actually fell down an embankment during the arrest ... this according to court docs obtained by TMZ Sports.

The responding officer says he initially pulled Unser over when he saw the racing legend whiz by him in a black Volkswagen Beetle around 1:12 AM.

During the stop, the officer says Unser reeked of booze and couldn't keep his balance ... and the entire time Unser insisted he hadn't had anything to drink before getting behind the wheel.

At one point, the officer says ... "Unser Jr. walked onto the embankment, lost his balance, fell to the ground and rolled down the embankment."

Unser refused breath tests and other field sobriety tests so he was cuffed and taken to the station for a blood draw.

The officer says Unser was a pain in the ass during the entire ordeal -- "he was consistently verbally hostile" toward the cops involved in the situation.

No word on the results of the blood draw ... yet.

Well, this is bad ...

Racing legend Al Unser Jr. -- who won the Indy 500 TWICE -- was arrested for drunk driving in Indianapolis early Monday morning, officials say.

The 57-year-old was pulled over in Hendricks County -- and officers suspected he was drunk. He was hauled to a nearby station where Unser was booked around 3:20 AM.

Court records show he's facing 3 charges -- improper lane usage, speeding and operating while intoxicated.

If Unser doesn't seem fazed in his mug shot ... it's because it's the 3RD TIME he's been arrested for drunk driving.

He was previously popped for drunk driving in 2007 and 2011.

Obviously, Unser struggles with alcohol abuse. He was also arrested in 2002 after a booze-fueled altercation with his then-girlfriend.

Unser has spoken publicly about his issues and has tried to get help multiple times.

Unser retired from racing back in 2007 after a stellar career which includes an Indy 500 win in 1992 and again in 1994.

Sebastian Telfair's sister has been arrested by the FBI for allegedly making violent threats to the ex-NBA star's estranged wife ... TMZ Sports has learned.

We broke the story ... Samantha Telfair had gone to police in late April claiming she was getting frightening phone calls from Octavia Telfair, who threatened to "kill my kids and cut my face" all because she testified in Sebastian's NYC gun case.

During Sebastian's trial, Samantha told prosecutors she had personally witnessed the former basketball star in possession of multiple weapons, including the gas-operated submachine gun he was allegedly carrying when he was arrested in June 2017.

Apparently, Sebastian's sister, Octavia, felt Samantha's testimony was treacherous -- so she allegedly called Samantha more than 50 times on the phone to express her discontent.

The LAPD and NYPD were investigating -- since Samantha lives in L.A. and Octavia lives in New York -- but the case was kicked to the FBI, which ultimately decided to arrest Octavia.

As we previously reported, Telfair -- a 33-year-old former high school phenom who spent 12 seasons in the NBA -- was arrested in June 2017 in Brooklyn when cops found several weapons during a traffic stop.

Troubled QB Chad Kelly just signed a new contract with the Indianapolis Colts -- and it begs the question ... is his uncle, Jim Kelly, to thank?

Here's the deal ... Jim had been working out with Chad this offseason to help him get a second shot in the NFL after he was cut by the Denver Broncos in 2018 following a bizarre arrest.

But, it's also hard to ignore the Jim Kelly connection with the Colts -- a team coached by Jim's former backup, Frank Reich!

Remember, Frank famously took over for an injured Jim Kelly in Buffalo during the 1992 NFL playoffs and led the Bills to the most historic comeback win ever when they were down 35-3 at halftime to the Houston Oilers.

So, did Jim call in a favor to his old friend?

Maybe ... but Chad still has to cut it on the field or else he'll be outta there.

Chad has to keep his nose clean while trying to earn his job on the regular season roster -- he was just sentenced to 1 year supervised probation after striking a plea deal in his home invasion arrest.

As we previously reported, Chad entered a random person's home after a night of boozing with the team back in October -- and was chased out of the home by a man wielding a vacuum cleaner tube.

After the Broncos cut Chad, his Hall of Fame uncle Jim met up with him to help guide along his QB workouts ... and he looked pretty good.

Kelly got a tryout with the Colts earlier this month -- and it seems they liked what they saw.

Nipsey Hussle's baby mama is a wanted woman -- with a lengthy criminal record -- after she recently skipped out on a court appearance in a DUI case.

Tanisha Foster was busted for DUI in Los Angeles a couple years back. She pled no contest to one of the charges and was sentenced to 3 years probation. Foster missed a court date for the case on May 15 -- her probation was revoked -- and a bench warrant was issued.

The DUI arrest isn't the only thing on Foster's record ... in 2007 she was busted for vandalism, annoying phone calls and disturbing the peace. Those charges were eventually dismissed after she completed her probation. In 2006, she was arrested for resisting arrest and disturbing the peace.

The arrest warrant comes in the middle of a nasty back and forth with Tanisha and Nipsey's brother and sister. Nipsey's siblings are asking for custody of his 10-year-old daughter, Emani, claiming Tanisha isn't a stable parent.

Both sides were in court for an emotional hearing Tuesday. Tanisha broke down in tears saying it had been months since she spent time with Emani. A judge cleared the courtroom and gave the two 20 minutes together.

Federal prosecutors are laying out an overwhelming case connecting Kodak Black to a shooting earlier this year ... but the rapper's attorney says the feds are all bark with no bite.

Prosecutors say Kodak bought 3 weapons and more than 100 rounds of ammo back in February from Lou's Police Distributors -- a federal firearms licensee in Hialeah, Florida. That purchase, prosecutors allege, was facilitated after Kodak lied on a January gun application.

Kodak dropped $3,518.71 for a Mini Draco pistol, Sig MPX K 9mm pistol and Sig P238 .380 pistol.

On March 7, prosecutors say, a Porsche Panamera rented by Kodak drove to Golden Acres -- a neighborhood in Pompano Beach where he grew up -- and fired away. The feds say the intended target was a rival rapper, who was not hit but whose house -- filled with kids -- was littered with bullets. No one was hit.

Law enforcement responded to the scene and found several spent castings and the MPX K Kodak bought in February. Prosecutors say the weapon had Kodak's fingerprints and a live round in the chamber that jammed during the shooting.

Prosecutors also say cops found the Porsche abandoned 14 miles from the scene of the crime and heavily damaged. The SUV's GPS data was then downloaded ... pinpointing the SUV in the Golden Acres neighborhood at the time of the shooting.

In docs, the feds say multiple witnesses saw Kodak at the scene of the shooting. The rapper has NOT been charged with any crime and the investigation continues.

As we first reported ... federal prosecutors wanna keep the rapper behind bars and deny him bail on the heels of his arrest at Rolling Loud for allegedly lying on 2 gun applications. While laying out their argument to keep Kodak behind bars, prosecutors brought up the March 7 shooting.