R.Kelly won’t be getting his day in the Supreme Court.
The singer’s legal team tried to appeal his case before the Supreme Court but was denied. Kelly has argued that he was wrongly prosecuted due to a 2003 law that extended the statue of limitations for sex crimes with minors.
Kelly, who is currently facing 30 years in prison, was informed that his case wouldn’t be heard by the highest court on Monday, October 7. In Sept 2022, he was convicted of three counts of coercing minors into sexual activity and three of producing sex tapes involving a minor. He was also sentenced to an additional 20 years in a Chicago court. R. Kelly is set to serve his term congruently with his 2021 rackeeteering and sex trafficking sentence.
In his appeal, his lawyer’s argued that the crimes that he’s accused of committing happened before 2003 statue of limitations was expanded and that he shouldn’t be affected by it. Jennifer Bonjean, one of Kelly’s lawyers said, “Retroactive application of the 2003 amendment not only fly in the face of congressional intent.” She continued, “It violates notions of fundamental fairness.”
The Supreme Court did not give a reason on why they decided not to hear the appeal and he will remain in prison.