T.I. could possibly be released from jail and receive house arrest while awaiting sentencing if his lawyers decide to plead guilty at the rapper's hearing tomorrow (October 19).
According to top hip-hop blogger Sandra Rose, T.I.'s lawyers will reportedly seek an order similar to the pre-sentence order that suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick. Last month Vick was ordered by a federal judge to remain on house arrest every night while awaiting sentencing on a dog fighting charge.
T.I. (born Clifford Harris, Jr.) was arrested by federal authorities after allegedly attempting to buy three machine guns and two silencers. With T.I. being a convicted felon, he is not allowed to legally own any firearms. The rapper was originally denied bond at a brief hearing on Monday (October 15) but will appear in court tomorrow to decide whether there was probable cause for his arrest and if he will qualify for bond before his trial.
According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Steve Sadow, one of T.I.'s lawyers, said he requested that the rapper's bond hearing be pushed back until Friday to give the defense additional time to prepare. But sources say Sadow and Dwight Thomas, another member of the rapper's legal team, are preparing to ask U.S. Magistrate Alan Baverman to place T.I. on house arrest under electronic surveillance or require him to wear an ankle monitoring device as a condition of his bond.
"This would ensure the public's safety as well as allow [T.I.] to continue to support his family until his trial comes up," said a source familiar with the case. But others are questioning if the strategy will pan out in the rapper's favor.
"I understand [T.I.] violated his probation with a previous gun charge, not to mention the felony conviction on drug charges in CobbCounty," said a prominent Atlanta attorney, who asked to remain anonymous. "The judge will also take into consideration the company that the young man keeps," said the attorney, seemingly referring to the two rappers signed to T.I.'s label who were named in the federal affidavit for allegedly providing T.I. with guns. "All of those factors will weigh heavily against him when he goes before the judge."