A federal appellate courtroom in Chicago has upheld R. Kelly‘s conviction and 20-year jail sentence for possessing youngster pornography and youngster enticement.
The disgraced singer was discovered responsible of six of 13 counts of proudly owning and producing youngster pornography and engaging a minor again in September. On Thursday (February 23), he was sentenced to twenty years in jail however he’ll serve nearly all of his sentence concurrently alongside the jail time period he acquired final yr for racketeering and trafficking.
The extra sentence implies that in complete, Kelly will now serve 31 years in jail and he is not going to be eligible for launch till he’s 80 years outdated.
Kelly appealed the sentence, together with his attorneys arguing that U.S. District Choose Harry Leinenweber exceeded federal sentencing tips by six years when he handed him his 20-year sentence.
Nonetheless, the seventh Circuit Courtroom of Appeals concluded the sentencing was acceptable because of the “horrid, horrible” nature of Kelly’s crimes. The courtroom additionally rejected Kelly’s argument that the fees had been filed after the statute of limitations had handed.
JUST IN: The seventh Circuit U.S. Courtroom of Appeals has affirmed disgraced R&B star R. Kelly’s federal conviction and sentence in Chicago for intercourse abuse of minors. pic.twitter.com/kD2dVjQ9rE
— Jason Meisner (@jmetr22b) April 26, 2024
“Kelly—interposing a statute-of-limitations protection—thinks he delayed the fees lengthy sufficient to elude them fully. The statute says in any other case, so we affirm his conviction,” a three-judge appeals panel unanimously concluded. “A good-handed jury discovered Kelly responsible, acquitting him on a number of expenses even after viewing these abhorrent tapes. No statute of limitations saves him, and the ensuing sentence was procedurally correct and — particularly beneath these appalling circumstances — considerably honest.”
In response, Kelly’s lawyer Jennifer Bonjean instructed TMZ: “Our combat is just not over. We are going to see assessment from the [United States Supreme Court] on the statute of limitations questions at a minimal. And he has habeas cures at his disposal. And if we win in New York, he will likely be entitled to resentencing in Illinois. So this story is way from over.”
Kelly has additionally appealed the New York sentence, alleging that the Surviving R. Kelly docuseries influenced the trial and prompt he was responsible earlier than the trial even started.
Nonetheless, if he did win his attraction, he’ll nonetheless doubtless find yourself serving 18 years in jail for his conviction in Chicago.
Originally of the yr, a ultimate instalment of the Surviving R. Kelly docuseries aired on Lifetime, protecting Kelly’s 2022 federal trial. The docuseries additionally examined the position performed by these round Kelly who enabled him, both by turning a blind eye to his abuse over three many years or serving to him see his victims, reminiscent of by reserving flights for underage women to journey throughout state strains.
It additionally examined Kelly’s marriage with the late singer Aaliyah, revealing that he silenced her and her household with a non-disclosure settlement after the annulment of their marriage, which occurred when Aaliyah was 15 together with her age falsified as 18 on the wedding certificates.
In the meantime, Tinashe has revealed she feels “embarrassed” about being compelled to work with R. Kelly and Chris Brown by her former label, RCA.
“You suppose I wished to [do the collaborations?],” she stated in a brand new interview. “I actually block out that R. Kelly tune from my thoughts. I neglect that that [song] exists. That’s so embarrassing. That’s so unreal that I’ve a tune with R. Kelly.”