(Rel)
OCC: Decide to change Rel's character from Juelz Santana to Drake)

Atlanta rapper Rel,20, was convicted on his 2010 gun charge and sentenced today.
His lawyers, however, proceeded to paint a picture of a vulnerable Rel who'd succumbed to the disease of addiction after being after losing his brother to prison and his freinds death..

Taking those pills helped take away the edge of everything else he'd been going through, Rel's lawyer Ed Garland argued, and it reawakened his addiction. "He went off the wagon and he failed on his commitment."

As always, the chrismatic Rel. was articulate when it finally came time for him to speak on his own behalf, but this time there wasn't a whole lot he could say. "I screwed up big time and I'm sorry this is for my family and fans. I have let ya'll down.," he addressed the judge from a statement he'd prepared beforehand. "I have alot of young fans and I don't want them to see me to going back to prison. They look up to me"

"I started with this many problems from my childhood," Rel said, stretching his arms way out as a guide while standing before the court. "And I've gotten it down to this many problems," he said, bringing his hands closer together. "That problem is addiction. I need help."

After listening to Rel's lawyers and U.S. Attorney Sally Yates talk of Rel's usage of marijuana, ecstacy, and "purple drank" (a mixture of codeine syrup, Sprite and Jolly Ranchers drunk from styrofoam cups) — not to mention his association with convicted felon Bobby Ramsey, who was with him he when Rel got arrested in Atlanta for murder (which he later aquitted ) and gun charges— he quickly issued a sentence that fell somewhere in between the recommendations of the defense and the U.S. attorney's office.


Rel mother was in the courtroom along with other family members. His 3 year old daughter and 1 year old son wereas seated at the first bench behind Rel 's defense team, next to recording artist and friend Monte Carlos, who put her arm around Rel's mother during the sentencing.

When it came time to talk about when Rel's 11 month sentence would begin, Judge Drakel said, "If I were in Mr. Young position, I'd want to go ahead and get this started to get it behind me." So he was forced to immediately to report to the Bureau of Prisons. At that point, Rel leaned over and whispered something to his lawyer Steve Sadow, who then said, "How about we recommend anywhere else but the place he was at last time."

Meanwhile, on the steps of the Richard B. Russell Federal Building facing Spring Street, more reporters and TV cameras waited in hopes that the rapper would exit the building and make a statement. His lawyer Dwight Thomas came, followed by U.S. Attorney Sally Yates. Rel,who stopped to hug several family members and friends while being escourtedby police to go off to prision, had used up all his words.

"I apologize sincerely to all who I've let down," he'd stated earlier in the courtroom. "It's an inconvenience and I know nobody wants to be here dealing with me and dealing with this. I apologize sincerely. Also to all my fans I will be back. The YRMG album is complete and I have finished my new album. So while I'm gone there will still be new Rel material. Monk On Fire. I'm sorry. I did this crime 2 years ago when I was young and now I have to pay for it."

Edited by user 23 January 2011 11:41:20(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified