Dental surgery and a courthouse fire postponed Weezy’s previous sentencing dates.
By Jayson Rodriguez
Lil Wayne
Photo: Thaddeus
After a delay at his request due to dental surgery, a postponement Tuesday because of a courthouse fire and then rescheduling his court date Wednesday, Lil Wayne is set to finally be sentenced and begin his one-year prison term stemming from a 2007 gun arrest on Monday (March 8).
The rapper was set to be sentenced last month, but Wayne’s attorney requested a delay so the rapper could undergo eight root canals. Judge Charles H. Solomon agreed to the last-minute request and rescheduled the proceedings for Tuesday. Then, just hours before he was set to appear before Judge Charles H. Solomon on Tuesday, a fire broke out at the Manhattan Criminal Court Building. At the first sign of smoke, the building was evacuated and all appearances were postponed. Lil Wayne’s attorney, Stacey Richman, confirmed to MTV News that her client’s case had temporarily been postponed as a result of the fire. The next day, Weezy’s court date was once again rescheduled.
Wayne is now set to appear before Solomon on Monday afternoon and plead guilty to attempted gun possession. He’s then expected to turn himself in immediately to begin his prison term. Lil Wayne has spent his unexpected free time partying in NYC, traveling back to his Miami home and, of course, recording.
The rapper reached a deal with prosecutors in November to plead out to a lesser deal, and in return, he is expected to be released from prison as early as October. In 2007, Lil Wayne was arrested for attempted gun possession following his first headlining performance in Manhattan at the Beacon Theatre. New York is among the toughest states in the country when it comes to gun-possession laws. In other states, Lil Wayne could have gotten off with a misdemeanor rap and probation. However, in New York, only law-enforcement officials and those affiliated with authorities are permitted to carry firearms.
Ultimately, what Lil Wayne pleaded guilty to amounts to him being able to have access to a gun. Police did not find a weapon on the rapper when his tour bus was searched. Rather, the gun — registered to his manager — was in a bag located near the rapper, hence the “attempted” charge.
Lil Wayne has been working feverishly in recent weeks to complete a number of videos and songs to stay relevant during his physical absence. That pace he’s gotten accustomed to, however, will come to a screeching halt, according to a New York corrections officer who spoke to MTV News.
“He’ll be housed with inmates who are classified in his category, and he’ll be able to be a regular inmate,” the guard said. “He’ll be able to watch television, go into the day room and congregate with people of his classification.
“He’ll have no preferable treatment at all. He’ll be treated like a regular inmate,” the guard, who declined to be identified due to the classified information he discussed, added.
Lil Wayne is still facing charges in Arizona, and that trial is set to begin March 30.
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