BREAKING NEWSImprisoned R. Kelly Asks Supreme Court to Overturn 2022 Convictions of Child Pornography and Engaging in S-- With a Minor
R. Kelly is fighting to have his 2022 s-- crime convictions overturned.
R. Kelly has filed a petition requesting the United States Supreme Court overturn his intense s-- crime convictions.
The disgraced rapper's lawyer Jennifer Bonjean confirmed on Tuesday, July 30, that her client submitted paperwork asking a judge to grant a writ of certiorari, claiming the federal crimes he was convicted of — including engaging in s-- with a minor and child pornography — occurred decades ago and exceed the statute of limitations, according to a report published by a news publication.
R. Kelly's lawer argued the crimes the rapper was convicted of exceed the statute of limitations.
The 2003 PROTECT Act notably ensures no statute of limitations exists in the case of a crime against a child, however, Kelly's attorney argued since her client's actions took place in the 1990s, the law should not apply to the charges made against him as it didn't exist until years later and Congress never put a clause in place for the act to include previous crimes.
It could take months for the Supreme Court to come to a final decision regarding the imprisoned rapper's appeal.
R. Kelly was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his 2022 convictions of engaging in sexual activity with a minor and child pornography.
Kelly was convicted in 2022 on three counts of producing child pornography and three counts of enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity. Because of the crimes, the "Ignition" singer was sentenced to 20 years in prison in February 2023.
This came after Kelly had already been declared guilty of sexual abuse and s-- trafficking in 2021, for which he was ordered to serve 30 years behind bars the following year.
The rapper also received a 30-year prison sentence for sexual abuse and s-- trafficking.
Prior to his most-recent sentence being revealed, one of Kelly's victims had her attorney, Christopher Brown, read a difficult statement detailing the "abusive and dominating" treatment the "I Believe I Can Fly" singer put her through, claiming she suffering caused suicidal thoughts.
"I have lost my dignity due to Robert Kelly. I have lost my dreams due to Robert Kelly. I have lost my teenage years to Robert Kelly," the message stated. "I will forever be the girl that R. Kelly peed on."
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The victim had referred to a disturbing video of Kelly urinating on her when she was just 14-year-old. The 42-minute-long footage was shown by prosecutors during the now-57-year-old's court case to showcase the heaviness of the convicted s-- offender's crimes for the jury.
"To this day, and even following the jury verdict again him, Kelly refuses to accept responsibility for his crimes," a court filing submitted by prosecutors around the time of the rapper's sentencing declared.
R. Kelly was known as the King of R&B before the rapper's crimes left him disgraced by the industry and fans.
Kelly's side of the court case had pushed for a more lenient sentence, insisting there was "no reason to believe he would reoffend as a geriatric in his mid 80s."
"The overwhelming majority of Kelly's criminal conduct was committed a quarter century ago," his lawyers argued.
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TMZ reported information about Kelly's petition to overturn his convictions.
