Grammy-winning rapper T.I. is headed back to Atlanta and may soon be ordered to face the federal judge who signed off on an extraordinary deal that shaved years off a potential prison term.
FILE - Rapper T.I. whose real name is Clifford Harris speaks to reporters outside the Richard B. Russell Federal Courthouse in Atlanta, in this March 27, 2008 file photo. Police say Rapper T.I. and wife Tameka Cottle have been arrested in West Hollywood for possession of a controlled substance late Wednesday Sept. 1, 2010. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)
.T.I.'s arrest Wednesday night in Los Angeles for marijuana possession could trigger a motion by his probation officer. The officer could ask U.S. District Judge Charles Pannell Jr. to revoke some of the remaining probation on T.I.'s federal sentence stemming from his arrest on gun charges three years ago. T.I's probation expires in 2013.
"T.I. is going to be back on his way to Atlanta in the next 24 hours," Don Samuel, one of T.I.'s lawyers, said Thursday. "It's almost certain he'll end up appearing before the court here. But without knowing all the facts, it's premature to speculate what the court is likely to do."
During T.I.'s March 2007 sentencing hearing, the rapper told Pannell he was sorry for what had happened and vowed to become a changed man. The first-of-its-kind plea deal had required T.I., before going to prison, to perform 1,000 hours of community service telling kids and fans across the country not to emulate his old lifestyle of drugs, guns, gangs and violence.
In March, T.I. was released after serving three months in an Atlanta halfway house. This followed a seven-month term in an Arkansas prison.
Wednesday night, 29-year-old T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris Jr., and his wife, Tameka "Tiny" Cottle, were arrested in West Hollywood during a traffic stop.
"Deputies smelled a strong odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle," the Los Angeles sheriff's department said. "A narcotics investigation ensued" and resulted in the arrests.
T.I. and his wife were released from jail at about 4 a.m. Thursday after each posted $10,000 bail.
T.I. was arrested in October 2007 by federal undercover agents in a Midtown parking lot trying to buy machine guns, ammunition and silencers. But his legal team brokered the extraordinary plea deal with then-U.S. Attorney David Nahmias, who is now a justice on the Georgia Supreme Court. At the time, the plea deal came under sharp criticism as an example of celebrity justice.
During T.I.'s sentencing hearing, Andrew Young, the former U.N. ambassador, Atlanta mayor and civil rights leader, told Pannell he wholeheartedly endorsed the deal. Young, who officiated the recent wedding between T.I. and Cottle, said he and the rapper had forged a close relationship. Young said T.I.'s anti-drug and anti-violence message had reached legions of fans.
Pannell told T.I. he thought the "experiment" had turned out well. But he also told T.I. if he had failed during his time out on community service, "I would have simply sent you to prison."
The question now will be whether Pannell will do that if T.I. is found to have violated his probation.
The terms of T.I.'s probation say he cannot possess or use any narcotic or controlled substance or frequent places where drugs are "illegally sold, used, distributed or administered." He also cannot associate with anyone engaged in criminal activity, the terms of his sentence dictate.
Atlanta lawyer Tim Saviello, a former federal defender, said T.I.'s probation officer has two choices. First, he can ask T.I. to agree to modify the terms of his probation by requiring him to take drug counseling, such as attending Narcotics Anonymous classes. He may also be required to take more frequent drug tests. Pannell would have to sign off on such an arrangement.
This is what typically happens in a run-of-the-mill case in which a probationer tests positive for drugs or is found to possess a small quantity of marijuana, Saviello said. "But this is not your run-of-the-mill case," he added.
The probation officer also has the option of filing a notice to revoke some or all of T.I.'s probation, which expires in 2013. This will require a court hearing, with Pannell deciding on whether to send the rapper to prison.
"It seems unfortunate T.I. would put himself in that situation, whether he was imbibing the marijuana or not," Saviello said. "Certainly it's unfortunate for him considering the nature of the deal he got."
T.I. has a key role in the current top box office movie "Takers," an action film about an armored truck robbery that goes bad. It was released last week and topped the box-office chart.
The multi-platinum rapper, who is known as the "King of the South," has been working on a new album, "King Uncaged," which may be released this year.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
