There’s a popular saying that goes: “the test will always repeat itself until the lesson is learned.” In the case of disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly, it seems he’s yet again failed the test of taking accountability for his heinous actions, as proven by a new appeal he filed over his New York federal sex crimes case.
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, the “Ignition” singer alleged the prosecutorial team didn’t “meet their burden of proof” during his September 2021 trial. He said that there were multiple holes in their arguments and evidence—chief among them being the fact that some of the girls he assaulted “misled him” into believing that they were of age and that some of the other young women he assaulted were 18 and had not been “groomed and molested” by him as minors. If you remember, there were multiple, disturbing accounts of Kelly’s sexual misconduct towards all these young girls, boys, and women as well as multiple charges including sexual assault, child pornography, forced labor, and kidnapping.
Kelly’s team also alleged that there was no impartiality with at least four jurors who were serving on his case, as they already had admitted to preconceived notions of guilt for the music star with at least two jurors having allegedly watched Lifetime’s Surviving R. Kelly documentary prior. Additionally, he said that the testimonies from his former associates were false and that the details regarding his sex life with his former partners and exes were only released to sway the jury’s opinion and not relevant to the case.
Due to all of this, Kelly is seeking to either get his conviction reversed or a new trial all together. He’s currently serving a 30 year sentence for this trial and was subsequently sentenced to 20 years for his Chicago sex crimes back in February.