Ralo is one step closer to finding out how long he’ll be locked up for drug charges.
According to court documents obtained by AllHipHop, the incarcerated rapper’s lawyers filed a sentencing memorandum following a plea agreement in his case. Ralo, whose real name is Terrell Davis, asked a judge for a nine-year prison sentence after he spent the past four years behind bars.
“For the past four (4) years Mr. Davis has been incarcerated in deplorable conditions at the Robert A. Deyton Detention Center, the Floyd County Jail, the Clay County Detention Center and the United States Penitentiary in Atlanta, all during COVID-19,” the filing reads. “He has spent much of this time reflecting on how he will rise above his trauma and crime laden past by engaging in only lawful activities in the future.”
The attorneys noted, “Counsel has spent uncountable hours discussing with Mr. Davis the need for him to use his platform to break the cycle of crime, violence, hopelessness, anger and illiteracy so the next generation has better opportunities. Undersigned counsel is convinced that Mr. Davis, once released from custody, will be a positive force for lawfulness and will lead the next generation to be focused on education and creating a non-violent, peaceful society.”
Prosecutors agreed with Ralo’s sentencing recommendation, but a judge will ultimately decide his fate. His legal team said their client is ready to move on from a life of crime that began due to the harsh circumstances of his childhood.
“The sentence of 108 months, which is a joint recommendation in the Plea Agreement, accomplishes the defined purposes of sentencing in that the imprisonment term provides deterrence, protects the public and reflects the seriousness of the offense,” Ralo’s lawyers proclaimed. “Importantly, it is sufficient but not greater than necessary to comply with the purpose of sentencing. Undersigned counsel cannot imagine where he would be in life’s journey if he was neglected and relegated to live alone in an abandoned home at age twelve (12).
They added, “Mr. Davis experienced the poverty of being unloved and uncared for. Mr. Davis’ path to the present was littered with minefields of temptation and criminality. By following that course, Mr. Davis has caused great harm to society. He recognizes that fact and has accepted responsibility for his conduct. It is time for Mr. Davis to serve the agreed upon sentence and begin a fresh start to a productive, meaningful, passionate, lawful life.”
Ralo was arrested for marijuana trafficking at the DeKalb-Peachtree Airport in 2018. Authorities also raided three locations in the Atlanta area in connection to the case.
Drake, Meek Mill, Killer Mike, 2 Chainz, Quavo, T.I. and many rappers signed a letter asking President Joe Biden to grant Ralo clemency in 2021. Deion Sanders, John Wall, Kevin Garnett and Julio Jones were among the other notable celebrities campaigning for his release.
Their efforts were unsuccessful as Ralo remains imprisoned. With time served, he could get out in five years if a judge agrees to his sentencing recommendation.