R. Kelly is still trying to clear his name as he has reportedly filed an appeal against his New York sex crimes conviction.
On Tuesday, Kelly’s legal team filed an appeal, arguing that the government failed to meet its burden of proof. The documents further reveal that four jurors had already formed an opinion about the defendant before the trial because two of them had watched the “Surviving R. Kelly” docuseries. The disgraced singer’s team believes the jurors shouldn’t have been permitted to participate in the trial.
Kelly believes he has valid justifications regarding inappropriate relationships with underage women and child pornography. He contends that some of the women were already 18 years old when he had sexual relations with them. On the other hand, he acknowledges having had sexual relationships with minors but claims that he was misled into believing that they were of legal age.
Additionally, Kelly and his team say a significant portion of the evidence presented against him was not pertinent to the case at hand. They argue that details concerning his sexual history, behavior with past partners, STDs, sexual preferences, and bedroom activities were all used to create a certain perception of him in the minds of the jury.
The 56-year-old singer was found guilty on nine federal counts including RICO, human trafficking, and sex crimes in 2021. As of now, Kelly is pushing to reverse the verdict or obtain a new trial.
