T.I. Could Face Extended Jail Sentence

Things aren’t looking to good for T.I. The rapper, who was arrested for drug possession along with his wife, Tiny, could face a multiple-year prison sentence. Check out what lawyer Steven Knowles shared with our good friend Billy Johnson over at Yahoo! regarding the situation:

Lawyer Steven Knowles suspects that, if convicted, T.I. could face a multiple-year jail sentence. “This is big-time,” Knowles told Yahoo! Music. “I really don’t envy his defense lawyer.”

Prior to serving three months in the halfway house, T.I. spent seven months in a federal prison in Arkansas for illegal firearms possession and possessing a gun as a convicted felon.

According to the Associated Press, as a condition of his three-year-parole, he was forbidden from committing another federal, state or local crime, or illegally possessing a controlled substance. Drug tests and participation in a drug and alcohol treatment program were also required.

The new allegations will not be taken lightly, said Knowles, a family attorney who has represented Britney Spears and Nicole Kidman, among others. “[T.I.'s] celebrity is not likely going to get him off of this,” he said. “This is now a repeated offense. That’s when even the celebrity get-out-of-jail card is not going to work.”

Knowles believes T.I.’s celebrity will probably ensure a more stringent ruling. “In fact, for them to take it light on him now would look like over-favoritism because he’s a celebrity, and I think, if anything, his celebrity may actually backfire.”

Knowles believes that Cottle, co-star of BET’s Tina & Toya and a member of the ‘90s R&B group Xscape, could avoid jail time because of their children. “That is a big factor when it comes to sentencing,” he said. “I can tell you from my experience as a family lawyer that celebrity or not, courts loathe to jail moms, particularly if there’s not going to be a dad at home to care for the kids as well. This would mean kids would have no parents.”

One important factor in determining a potential sentence will be the quantity of drugs in possession. “If [the] quantity is large enough to be selling or even sharing with third parties, that could make a big difference,” Knowles said. {Source}