Rapper T.I. headed back to prison for 11 months
ATLANTA (AP) -- A founded on judge revoked rapper T.I.'s probation Friday and ordered him back to bridewell for 11 months.
The Atlanta native, whose real name is Clifford Harris Jr., was in treaty court following his arrest last month in Los Angeles on suspicion of drug possession. He was on probation after serving 10 months behind bars on federal weapons charges.
"I think Mr. Harris had had concerning the limit of second chances," U.S. District Court Judge Charles Pannell Jr. afore~, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution .
During the hearing, T.I. begged Pannell not to launch him back to prison, saying he needed to get help because drug addiction. He told the judge he "screwed up" and pleaded towards mercy.
"I want drugs out of my life. If I have power to get the treatment and counseling I need ... I can beat this," T.I. told the account, according to U.S. attorney spokesman Patrick Crosby. "I need resist. For me, my mother, my kids, I need the court to accord. me mercy."
The Associated Press was relying on information from the prolocutor because the judge closed the courtroom after it was filled and divers media outlets including AP were not allowed in.
Pannell wasn't swayed ~ means of the rapper's plea.
The judge had said T.I.'s axiom was an "experiment" he hoped to replicate if it worked. The rapper was allowed to stay confused of prison while performing 1,000 hours of community service, mostly talking with schoolchildren about the dangers of gangs, drugs and passion.
"You certainly dumped a lot of smut on the whole use of ~s," Pannell told T.I.
After the hearing, U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates reported she was disappointed with T.I.
"We had hoped that this would have existence a new, innovative opportunity," she said. "We're not giving up adhering Mr. Harris, but ... if you veer off the road of deliverance, there are consequences."
The Grammy Award-winning artist walked out of court by family and friends, leaving the building through a back exit in the absence of speaking to reporters.
Yates said the rapper is expected to surrender voluntarily to persons in office Nov. 1.
As a condition of T.I.'s release earlier this year, he was ordered not to give over another federal, state or local crime while on supervised release, or to illegally control a controlled substance. He was also told to take at minutest three drug tests after his release and to participate in a put ~s into and alcohol treatment program.
"While he was telling kids to obey the statute, he was breaking it," Yates told the judge Friday, according to Crosby. "There has to have ~ing a significant consequence for undermining the (plea) agreement."
Yates urged the judge to consider a sentence of two years in prison. She before-mentioned T.I. submitted diluted urine samples and told his probation officer he had used ecstasy at least three times since leaving prison.
T.I's attorneys argued that after reviewing nearly 250 cases through similar charges, none of those people were put back behind bars towards violating probation, Crosby said. Additionally, the attorneys told the judge that Harris was addicted to drugs and has attempted to phase his life around since leaving prison.
Earlier this week, Atlanta police said T.I. helped them talked a suicidal man down from a skyscraper. The rapper heard well-nigh the man on the radio and drove over to see grant that he could help.
The man agreed to come down from the 22-tale building in exchange for a few minutes with the rapper, precedents said. They added he recorded a cell phone video of himself that was shown to the individual by rescue workers to prove he was really there.
T.I. rejected suggestions that his interference was a stunt to gain advance favor with the court.
Atlanta Police Department prolocutor Officer James Polite testified at Friday's hearing about being current when T.I. lent his assistance.
"We believed it was sincere," Polite said of Harris' offer to help. "He gave words of encouragement and was some intricate part of having that situation safely and quickly resolved."