R. Kelly stands with his lawyer Jennifer Bonjean during his sentencing hearing for federal sex trafficking at the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, U. S.
, June 29, 2022 in this courtroom sketch. REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg Attorney Jennifer Bonjean said R. Kelly wanted to speak in court, but she said “no.
” Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Wednesday. Bonjean said that Kelly was advised to remain silent until his pending cases are resolved. R.
Kelly wanted to speak at his sentencing in federal court on Wednesday, but his lawyer told him it was a bad idea. Speaking outside of the Brooklyn courthouse, Attorney Jennifer Bonjean told reporters that she didn’t want Kelly to speak out while he has open cases in Chicago and Minnesota. Another case, involving child pornography and similar allegations, is scheduled to go to trial in Chicago federal court in August.
“I promise you, he does wanna make a statement,” Bonjean said while surrounded by members of the press. “He will make statements, but on the advice of counsel, he remained silent. ” Kelly, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Seven of his victims gave impact statements in court, describing how the artists actions ripped their lives and futures apart. Bonjean stopped short of saying that Kelly expressed remorse for his behavior, which she attributed to the sexual abuse he faced at the hands of his sister and landlord when he was a child. “Nobody wants to hear what he heard today.
He’s a human being. He feels what other people are feeling,” she said. “That doesn’t mean that he can accept responsibility in the way that the government would like him to and the way other people would like him to, because he disagrees.
He disagrees with the characterizations that have been made about him. ” Witness “Addie” speaks during a victim statement at R. Kelly’s sentencing hearing for federal sex trafficking at the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, U.
S. , June 29, 2022 in this courtroom sketch. REUTERS/Jane RosenbergDuring a trial that spanned more than six weeks last summer, numerous women and two men testified that he lured them into sexual slavery after promising to help their careers in the music industry — promises he almost never kept.
Women, many of whom were teenagers when they met Kelly, described how Kelly directed them to have sex with him and each other, and how the singer obsessively took videos of the sexual encounters. On Wednesday, one of the women described herself as a forced “sex slave” of Kelly’s — and experts have previously said they believe Kelly ran a sex cult. Prosecutors previously asked the judge to sentence Kelly, 55, to a minimum of 25 years in prison.
Bonjean — who joined the case after Kelly’s conviction and has represented a number of high-profile clients accused of sex crimes, including Bill Cosby and sex cult founder Keith Raniere — requested a sentence of 10 years, the mandatory minimum. Speaking to Insider reporters outside of court, Kelly’s two sisters — from his father’s side — said that they believed he was treated unfairly and they are looking forward to his appeal. “He’s been strong.
He’s gonna continue to be strong. We’re his sisters, we’re gonna continue to stand behind him,” Lisa Kelly told Insider. “And that’s just the way it is.
We don’t believe any of that. ” Lisa and Cassandra Kelly, who live in North Carolina and Atlanta, said that they speak to their brother about twice a week from prison. They both sat in the courtroom on Wednesday and had no visual reaction to most of the sentencing.
When Judge Ann Donnelly handed down financial penalties and fines against the singer, however, the women shook their heads. Read the original article on Insider.
From: insider
URL: https://www.insider.com/r-kelly-wanted-to-speak-in-court-lawyer-said-no-2022-6
