Kelly turns to a legal loophole, hoping to overturn his sex crime convictions.
Kelly wants to use a legal loophole to reverse his sex offence convictions. The disgraced R&B artist has asked the US Supreme Court to overturn his convictions, alleging that they are beyond the statute of limitations.
“Bro, my dosage so low that I can’t believe it myself,” Kelly stated.
Kelly’s team claims he committed crimes in the mid-1990s. They claim the PROTECT Act, under which Kelly was accused, was not passed until 2003. Thus, his attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, argues that the Act’s increased statute of limitations should not apply to pre-2003 activity.
A Supreme Court decision on Kelly’s appeal is expected in the coming months. The verdict might affect Kelly, who was convicted in 2022 on six of 13 federal offences, including three counts of child pornography for sexually abusing four girls, three of whom were minors. Three more charges for producing sex tapes with a juvenile followed his conviction of making videos of himself sexually assaulting his 14-year-old goddaughter.
Kelly’s defence team claims the charges against him are illegal under current law despite these convictions. Bonjean claims Congress did not include a language in the PROTECT Act to apply to pre-2003 acts. This legal dispute centres on whether the statute of limitations can be extended forever for pre-law crimes.
Chicago judges gave Kelly 20 years in prison. The judge granted him a tiny reprieve by ordering that all but one year of this sentence be served concurrently with his 30-year racketeering sentence in New York. If no appeals are successful, he will serve 31 years for his offences.
Kelly faces a financial lawsuit in addition to his criminal convictions. He sued the feds to retrieve his commissary funds, which were taken to pay a judgement. Last year, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that Heather Williams, one of Kelly’s sexual assault accusers, may access his label fund, which was worth $1.5 million in 2020. Kelly’s suit was prioritised above Midwest Commercial Funding, a property manager who secured a $3.5 million judgement against her for unpaid Chicago studio rent.
Months later, U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly ordered Kelly and Universal Music Group to pay over $500,000 in royalties. The court had already ordered him to turn up $28,000 from his jail commissary.
Kelly’s continued legal struggles to reverse his sentences and retrieve his fortune are evident. His petition to the Supreme Court is a major step in his efforts to overturn his convictions based on the timing of the crimes and the PROTECT Act.
Kelly’s music industry fame and serious allegations have garnered notice. If the Supreme Court hears his appeal, it might change statutes of limitations for prior crimes.
The public and media will eagerly follow Kelly’s arguments before the US Supreme Court. Kelly and similar instances may be affected by the decision.
This case’s entertainment-legal news nexus highlights the legal system’s intricacies and the ongoing issues of high-profile criminal cases. R. Kelly remains in prison awaiting his next court battle.
