R. Kelly’s Bid For Early Jail Release Denied
A judge recently denied R. Kelly’s request to be released from jail early due to the COVID-19 outbreak, as TMZ reports. Among the reasons given was the fact that he’s…
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JUNE 26: R&B singer R. Kelly covers his mouth as he speaks to members of his entourage as he leaves the Leighton Criminal Courts Building following a hearing on June 26, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. Prosecutors turned over to Kelly’s defense team a DVD that alleges to show Kelly having sex with an underage girl in the 1990s. Kelly has been charged with multiple sex crimes involving four women, three of whom were underage at the time of the alleged encounters.
(Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)A judge recently denied R. Kelly's request to be released from jail early due to the COVID-19 outbreak, as TMZ reports. Among the reasons given was the fact that he's still considered a flight risk, according to legal documents that TMZ obtained.
The judge also said that Kelly isn't a part of the at-risk group because he "is fifty-three years old, twelve years younger than the cohort of 'older adults' defined by the CDC as at high risk."
The embattled singer had argued that he had surgery while behind bars. However, the judge stated that "he does not explain how his surgical history places him at a higher risk of severe illness. Moreover, officials in Chicago have advised the government that doctors have completed all treatment for the defendant’s recent operation."
The singer also argued that due to COVID-19 he can't strategize for his July trial with his legal team but the judge said that Kelly can still communicate with his lawyers via phone and email. The judge also stated that it's unlikely the singer's trial will proceed as scheduled in early July "as conditions return to normal, [Kelly] and his lawyers will have additional time to prepare for trial."
