A Manhattan judge has denied 6ix9ine’s request to end his supervised release early. The controversial rapper had been released from prison early due to the pandemic, but he’s trying to end his term on supervised release.
According to Complex, 6ix9ine’s legal team argued that his good behavior since his release was enough to drop the five-year sentence. Unfortunately, that wasn’t good enough for Judge Paul Engelmayer, who ruled that good behavior doesn’t count towards an early release.
The judge added that being on supervised release gives reason for defendants like 6ix9ine to obey the law. “Although the court is hopeful that Mr. Hernandez’s choice since his release to abide by the law reflects a durably matured internal compass, the Court today cannot be fully confident that, freed of judicial supervision, he would not lapse,” Judge Engelmayer wrote.
Where does 6ix9ine go from here?
Another factor that went into the decision was the fact that 6ix9ine hardly completed his required community service hours. The “TROLLZ” artist only completed 10 hours of the required 300 by his release.
The request was dismissed without prejudice, meaning 6ix9ine’s team can file again later down the road. His attorneys claimed that his cooperation with authorities put his safety at risk, but the court ruled that avenues of community service remain open.
“I think he earned the right to have his supervised release terminated early,” said attorney Lance Lazzaro. “The judge decided that the application was premature, even though the law allowed us to make this right after one year. He’s basically been on supervised release close to two years. Probation had no objection to it. The US Attorney objected, and the judge ruled in the US Attorney’s favor.”
Previously, 6ix9ine testified against other members of the Nine Trey gang in exchange for a reduced sentence of two years. He was then released in April 2020 during the start of the COVID19 pandemic due to his asthma.