The “Second Circuit Court of Appeals” (the second court) rejected R. Kelly’s arguments that the “First Circuit” (the first Court of Justice) was inadmissible. On Wednesday (February 12), the conviction of R. Kelly was confirmed for extortion and sex trade and his 30-year-old prison sentence. The musician took advantage of his power for over a quarter of a century to sexually abuse children, girls and young women.
The “Second Circuit Court of Appeals” judged after a hearing of the arguments in March 2024. R. Kelly was sentenced to the “Brooklyn Federal Court” (roughly: the Federal Court of Justice in Brooklyn) in 2021.
The “Second Circuit Court of Appeals” pointed out R. Kelly’s arguments “Courthouse News Service “ and “ABC News” back. R. Kelly’s arguments were: 1) The evidence in the process was inadequate, 2) The constitutionality of some state laws applied against him was questionable, 3) Four jury were biased 4) The legal judge would have made some inadmissible decisions and 5) Charges due to blackmail, which is usually used in cases of organized crime, is not permitted.
One of R. Kelly’s lawyers was Jennifer Bonjean. According to “ABC News”, she said that the judgment was disappointing, but she would appeal to the “Supreme Court” (Supreme Court). She described the judgment of the “Second Circuit Court of Appeals” as “unprecedented”. She found that the judgment “gives the public prosecutors a limitless discretion in the application of the law to combat organized crime. Also to situations that are absurd from the intention of the law. The law is intended to punish organized crime – not the individual behavior. “
On the judgment of the “Second Circuit Court of Appeals”
“Allowed by a constellation of managers, assistants and other employees, Kelly took advantage of his fame for over twenty years to attract girls and young women,” said the “Second Circuit Court of Appeals”. He also pointed out that members of his entourage helped to make him known to underage girls. “The evidence in the negotiation showed that he in isolated the girls from friends and family, controlled almost every aspect of their lives and they verbally, physically and sexually abused,” it continues. It was “neither arbitrary nor unreasonable” that several accusers were allowed to testify in court that R. Kelly infected her with herpes without her knowledge.
And: It was not inappropriate that seven witnesses were allowed to testify who were minors when R. Kelly began to abuse them. “None of the witness statements were more nitrivated than the accused.” The “Second Circuit Court of Appeals” also found that it was not a disadvantage that the judge allowed the jury to see videos. According to the Court of Appeal, the videos “were properly approved in order to show the means and methods of the procedure, the extent of control and dominance, which R. Kelly had about his victims”, according to “Courthouse News Service” .
What was left of the defense of R. Kelly
In her statement, R. Kelly’s lawyer also quoted a partial position of a “Second Circuit” judge. The judge is called Richard J. Sullivan and was appointed by Donald Trump: he agreed what he described as the “excellent opinion” of the majority. What he could not fully represented was according to media reports that a victim was awarded a compensation allowance for a lifelong herpes medication. For this purpose, a brand medication was calculated and not a preparation that is no longer subject to patent protection. “This was not compensation. It was an attempt by the government that the prosecutors used financial incentives to influence testimony. “
R. Kelly sold millions of albums. After accusations of sexual abuse became public in the 1990s, he was acquitted in Chicago in 2008 after a first indictment. A second process in Chicago in 2022 ended with a guilty verdict. He was convicted of the production of recordings that show sexual abuse.
The documentary “Surviving R. Kelly” (2019) followed in the course of the #Metoo movement (since 2017).
A person concerned tells: