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Georgia's highest court has reversed the convictions of a man who pleaded guilty to a gang charge after he was accused of shooting into New Orleans-born rapper Lil Wayne's tour buses on a Georgia highway. The state Supreme Court said Friday (June 29) that the trial judge improperly participated in the plea negotiations, making Jimmy Carlton Winfrey's plea involuntary.
Winfrey was sentenced in November 2015 to 10 years in prison. He had pleaded guilty to six counts of violating the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act.
But during a pretrial hearing, prosecutors told the judge Winfrey had rejected three plea offers and no more were anticipated. The judge warned Winfrey that the plea opportunity was going away and that if he went to trial and got convicted she had a reputation for being tough.
Winfrey, who goes by Peewee Roscoe, was the tour manager of rapper Bryan "Birdman" Williams, who had a Bloods gang beef with Lil Wayne, born Dwayne Carter, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.
Winfrey was sentenced in November 2015 to 10 years in prison. He had pleaded guilty to six counts of violating the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act.
But during a pretrial hearing, prosecutors told the judge Winfrey had rejected three plea offers and no more were anticipated. The judge warned Winfrey that the plea opportunity was going away and that if he went to trial and got convicted she had a reputation for being tough.
Winfrey, who goes by Peewee Roscoe, was the tour manager of rapper Bryan "Birdman" Williams, who had a Bloods gang beef with Lil Wayne, born Dwayne Carter, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.
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