T.I. Sentenced to a year and a day

Mar 27 2009 10:28 AM EDT
T.I. Upbeat As He Enters Atlanta Courtroom For Sentencing
Tip smiles and waves to people in courtroom.
By Jayson Rodriguez
ATLANTA — It was a dreary, warm and wet morning in Atlanta as T.I. prepared for his sentencing on felony weapons charges at the Richard B. Russell Federal Courthouse Friday morning (March 27).

Shortly before 9:30 a.m., the rapper arrived at the 23rd-floor chamber, where he would appear before Judge Charles Pannell Jr. His manager, Jason Geter, was present beforehand. The sterile building was largely quiet as federal workers, lawyers and citizens slowly filed in. In the courtroom, there was a mix of teens, curious employees from the building, and the rapper's family, including his longtime partner, Tameka "Tiny" Cottle. A hushed tone overtook the room with T.I.'s entrance. Lawyers were still entering.

T.I. was greeted warmly by his legal team. He was wearing a charcoal gray suit, dark dress shirt and matching tie. His spirits appeared up as he flashed a smile to different people as he scanned the room. Outside, a number of media outlets awaited word, just like T.I., on whether the rapper's plea deal would be honored or not.

The rapper, who was arrested in 2007 after trying to illegally purchase firearms, had previously worked out a plea deal that significantly cut down his jail time. T.I. — who will discuss how he feels about his upcoming jail time on "T.I.'s Road to Redemption: The Reckoning," airing Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on MTV — made a plea deal last March that suggested if he completed 1,000 hours of community service before sentencing, paid a $100,000 fine and agreed to complete another 500 hours of community service after his time behind bars, he would be sentenced to a year and a day in prison.

The sentence is notable, according to legal experts, because of the specific length. If T.I. were to be sentenced to one year in prison, for example, he would be required to complete the entire sentence. The sentence of one year and one day could allow T.I. to be released earlier for good behavior, if warranted.