US Singer R. Kelly Remains in Custody as Judge Denies Emergency Release Petition
A Chicago-based United States court has turned down a request for the emergency release of singer Robert Kelly, commonly known as R. Kelly, from prison to home confinement.
Kelly’s legal representatives argued that his life is at risk while he remains incarcerated. They have accused officials at the Chicago Metropolitan Correctional Center of colluding with one of his former cellmates to intercept his private legal correspondence and disclose it to prosecutors prior to his trial.
Additionally, they claimed that at FCI Butner in North Carolina, where Kelly is currently serving his sentence, prison officials attempted to recruit a member of the Aryan Brotherhood to carry out a murder against him.
The legal team also asserted that prison staff administered a potentially lethal overdose to Kelly and forcibly discharged him from a hospital despite medical advice against it.
In light of these allegations, his attorneys submitted an emergency motion and made a public plea for intervention from President Donald Trump.
However, U.S. District Judge Martha Pacold rejected the appeal on Thursday, stating that she did not have the necessary jurisdiction.
Prosecutors dismissed the allegations as unfounded and offensive, asserting, “Kelly refuses to accept responsibility for years of sexually abusing children and is using this Court’s docket merely to promote himself despite there being no legal basis to be before this court.”
At 58 years old, Kelly is serving a 30-year sentence following a 2021 conviction in New York for racketeering and sex trafficking.
In 2022, he was also found guilty of child pornography charges in Chicago.
His sentences are mostly concurrent, with an anticipated release date of December 21, 2045.
In related news, SaharaReporters has also reported that fellow American R&B artist Chris Brown has pleaded not guilty to charges in an ongoing assault case before a UK court.
Brown appeared in court on Friday, where he entered his plea regarding the charge of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm during an alleged altercation at a London nightclub in 2023.
According to AFP, Brown was dressed in a dark suit and tie, wearing glasses, as he stood in the dock at Southwark Crown Court in London for the charge presentation.
He responded with, “Not guilty, ma’am,” to the accusation.
It is worth noting that he was released from UK custody in May after posting £5 million ($6.7 million) bail following his arrest in Manchester.
The charges against Brown involve “grievous bodily harm with intent” related to an incident where the victim was reportedly struck multiple times with a bottle before being chased, punched, and kicked.
“Kelly is currently housed at FCI Butner, which is located in Butner, North Carolina —outside this judicial district,” Judge Pacold noted.
“Kelly has not demonstrated a legal basis for this court’s jurisdiction. Accordingly, his emergency motion … is denied.”
