Pennsylvania court overturns Meek Mill's 2008 firearms conviction

July 24 (UPI) -- A Pennsylvania appeals court overturned the 2008 firearms-related conviction of Meek Mill on Wednesday, granting the rapper a new trial.

The Superior Court of Pennsylvania said if prosecutors chose to retry Mill, born Robert Williams, he'd likely be acquitted.

Mill was arrested in 2007 for allegedly assaulting a Philadelphia police officer and illegally possessing a firearm. He was convicted of drug dealing and gun possession and sentenced to prison, from which he was released early under a parole agreement.

He returned to court multiple times for violating his parole.

Prosecutors said they had doubts about the credibility of Mill's arresting officer, Reginald Graham, because he allegedly engaged in criminal actions.

"We conclude the after-discovers evidence is of such a strong nature and character that a different verdict will likely result at a retrial," the panel of judges said Wednesday.

In a statement released to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Mill praised the ruling.

"The past 11 years have been mentally and emotionally challenging, but I'm ecstatic that justice prevailed."

The announcement came the same day Mill launched the Dream Chasers label with Jay-Z.