R. Kelly’s bid to shorten his lengthy prison terms came up short on Friday, as the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago decided that his 2022 conviction would be upheld.
Kelly had tried to appeal the 20-year sentence on his child porn conviction in Chicago, seeking a reduction in prison time, but the court’s decision killed that bid this week after directly linking the Chicago sentence to the 30-year sentence the singer received in New York on sex trafficking and racketeering charges.
According to court documents obtained by The Daily Beast, Kelly appealed his convictions for Sexual Exploitation and Inducement of a Child on the grounds that the statute of limitations on the charges had run out, one of the charges should have been heard by a separate jury, and that 240-month sentence was “improper” procedurally.
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All of those points were shot down, as it was argued that the statute of limitations extends through the lives of the victims, the jury was “properly instructed” and “discharged its duty with care,” even acquitting Kelly on seven counts, and justified his 240-month sentence as “within guidelines.” Subsequently, the court decided this week that Kelly’s six convictions would not be reversed and he would not receive a new sentencing hearing.
The disgraced R&B star is still appealing his New York conviction, claiming that the bombshell docuseries Surviving R. Kelly unfairly influenced his trial.
“We are disappointed in the ruling but our fight is far from over,” Jennifer Bonjean, Kelly’s defense attorney, tells The Daily Beast. “We will seek review from the Supreme Court and continue to pursue all of his appellate remedies until we Free R. Kelly. You can bet on that.”
