R. Kelly Has COVID; Lawyers seek to delay filing of appeals

R. Kelly appears in an Illinois courtroom in a 2019 file photo.

R&B singer R kelly is seeking more time to file post-conviction moves and prepare to appeal, his attorney revealed in a letter sent Tuesday morning.

Singer, whose legal name in court documents is Robert Sylvester Kellyto be sentenced last year using employees and others to coerce victims into performing sexual acts. jury convict R. Kelly on all nine counts prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York. Those charges include one count of fraud and eight counts of violating the Mann Act. However, the jury disagree that prosecutors have proven certain abuse cases beyond a reasonable doubt, a specially corroborated judgment form. Those failures do not affect the overall verdict. Kelly is scheduled to be sentenced in the Eastern District of New York on May 4, 2022. He also face separate trials in other jurisdictionsnotably in Illinois.

Lawyer Jennifer Bonjean is handling the paperwork following the sentencing of R. Kelly; a third letter notes that the singer has decided to “break up[] way with his probationary period. Bonjean is seeking a two-week extension for motions following Kelly’s trial and is considering a February 17, 2022 deadline for such matters to be filed. She noted that prosecutors The federal government did not object to the delay.

“Although the undersigned attorney has worked diligently to complete the motions following Mr. Kelly’s trial,” Bonjean wrote, “a number of issues have arisen requiring an extension of time,” Bonjean wrote. short”.

“First, MDC [Metropolitan Detention Center] She went on to suspend indefinitely all prison visits nearly a month ago, preventing the undersigned attorney from meeting with Mr. Kelly to review the proposed offers. “To complicate matters further, Mr. Kelly was advised that he contracted a COVID that interfered with his ability to speak to an attorney on the phone. The signed advisor has arranged several zoom meetings with Mr. Kelly over the next two weeks, but the first meeting cannot be confirmed until February 3, 2022.

Bonjean wrote that it was “critically important for Mr. Kelly to be meaningfully involved in the post-trial defense process” and said more time was needed for his involvement to be effective. Bonjean noted that much of the timetable still depends on MDC’s mitigation efforts, but she said she is “confident she can complete the necessary discussions with Mr. upcoming scheduled zoom visit.”

The attorney also noted that Kelly’s decision to appoint her adjudication team “requires serious consideration” and discussions between all parties. Those conversations also lead to certain delays; Bonjean said she “likes[red] to file post-trial petitions” only after R. Kelly’s trial attorney had formally withdrawn — and that process is continuing.

The letter also notes that “Mr. Kelly’s COVID status has been publicly disclosed. ”

Read the letter below:

[image via Antonio Perez/Pool via Getty Images]

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