R. Kelly’s Attempt to Overturn Sex Trafficking Conviction Denied by Federal Appeals Court

R. Kelly’s attempt to overturn his conviction on sex trafficking and racketeering charges has been denied by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. On Wednesday, the court issued an 85-page decision, upholding Kelly’s 30-year prison sentence, which was handed down in June 2022.

The court’s ruling emphasized the overwhelming evidence that Kelly had orchestrated his illegal activities through a tightly controlled group of associates. In the decision, Judge Denny Chin wrote, “The record is replete with evidence that Kelly was able to commit the predicate acts because he was the head of a close-knit group of associates and he controlled the affairs of the enterprise.” The ruling specifically mentioned Kelly’s role in orchestrating the illegal marriage to Aaliyah when she was underage, an act in which members of his entourage were directly involved.

Kelly’s legal team had argued that the singer should not face racketeering charges, claiming his employees were unaware of the victims’ ages and, therefore, could not have acted with criminal intent. They also raised concerns about potential jury bias following the release of the explosive 2019 documentary, Surviving R. Kelly, which shed light on the accusations against him.

Despite these arguments, the court rejected Kelly’s claims, reaffirming his convictions. “While we are disappointed that the Second Circuit affirmed Mr. Kelly’s convictions, we believe the United States Supreme Court will be interested in reviewing this unprecedented opinion that gives the government limitless discretion to apply the RICO statute to situations absurdly remote from statute’s intent,” said Kelly’s lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean.

With the appeals court ruling, Kelly’s 30-year sentence remains intact, as he continues to serve time for his crimes.