R Kelly has been in prison since the summer of 2019, but after a judge ruled last week that the disgraced R&B singer will They are still imprisoned for the next three decadesKelly has committed suicide. While this seems like a fairly standard step – particularly given the length of the sentence and the high profile nature of the case and the defendant – Kelly’s legal team spoke up. The team criticized the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn and alleged the cruel and unusual treatment of their client.
Robert Sylvester Kelly was convicted in September 2021 on federal charges of racketeering and violations of the Mann Act – an anti-sex-trafficking law. On June 29, Judge Ann M. The 55-year-old should get out of prison in his 80s. R Kelly’s attorney, Jennifer Bunjian, said her client was not suicidal and that putting him on suicidal probation was a violation of his constitutional rights. She said in a statement (per ET):
The Eighth Amendment to the US Constitution prohibits the federal government from imposing heavy bail, heavy fines, or, in this case, cruel and unusual punishment. Jennifer Bunjian said in her complaint (which she got People) that the conditions for probation of suicide qualify as such and that the confinement condition is so severe that it “could cause and actually cause serious psychological harm”. The attorney’s complaint claimed that there were a number of circumstances that inmates could face at the hour of suicide:
It is not known which of these terms apply to R. Kelly himself or whether any of these terms apply to R. Kelly himself, as a representative of the Bureau of Prisons told People that for safety reasons they could not provide information about “incarceration conditions or Homeland Security practices.” for any particular prisoner.
The 30-year sentence came nine months after R. Kelly was found guilty of nine federal sex crimes, following decades of allegations. In 1994, the singer illegally married 15-year-old singer Aliyah Houghton, who died in 2001. He was arrested in 2002 on 21 counts of child pornography but was eventually acquitted. In 2017, he faced Accusations of brainwashing womenwhich was followed by a file sexual battery suit In 2018. 2019 Lifetime Documentary Series Surviving R. Kelly (Available now for Netflix subscribersThe allegations came to light, and Kelly was arrested shortly thereafter.
Aside from his attorney’s court battle over the suicide watch, the R&B singer’s legal troubles continue. He is due to stand trial in Chicago on federal charges of child obstruction and child pornography, and also faces state charges in Illinois and Minnesota. Given the extent to which the former artist’s legal issues have been publicized, it is likely that many will continue to keep their eyes peeled as new developments take place.
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