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Artist News Legal
R Kelly again denied bail
By Andy Malt | Published on Thursday 10 September 2020
R Kelly has again been denied release from prison on bail, as he awaits his various trials on sexual abuse charges, this time by a New York appeals court.
The Second US Circuit Court Of Appeals in Manhattan upheld a previous ruling by a Brooklyn federal court judge to deny Kelly bail. Earlier this year, his legal team made a number of requests for the musician to be released over concerns that he was at risk of contracting COVID-19 while in jail.
When bringing the case before the appeals court, Kelly’s attorneys said that a recent attack by another inmate showed that the prison system was unable to adequately protect him. There was also an accusation that prison staff had intentionally allowed the attack to be carried out by the other inmate, who said that he attacked the star in order to gain media attention for his own case.
However, the court said that Kelly’s attorneys had failed to find a “compelling reason” for their client’s release. One of those attorneys, Mike Leonard, then said that the decision was “very disappointing and somewhat surprising”.
Kelly has been held in custody since July last year while he awaits trials in New York and Chicago. A key reason for him being held in jail is evidence of witness tampering in his previous abuse trial in 2008. Prosecutors also argue that he is a danger to the public and a flight risk.
The musician has another bail request pending in Chicago – where he is actually being held. However, even if he wins that, he will still have to find a way to actually convince a New York court to concur before he can go home and switch to a house arrest scenario.
