R. Kelly's Lawyer Slams State Law Prohibiting People With STD's From Having Sex

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R&B singer R. Kelly (R) and his attorney Steve Greenberg leave Cook County jail after Kelly posted $100 thousand bond on February 25, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. Kelly was being held after turning himself in to face ten counts of aggravated sexual abuse.
R. Kelly's lawyer claims the state laws prohibiting his client from having sex because of his STD's is "unconstitutional."

R. Kelly's attorney is combatting against "unconstitutional" laws that make it illegal for people with sexually transmitted diseases to have sexual intercourse. According to PageSix, Steve Greenberg filed a motion to the Brooklyn federal court demanding for certain charges against Kelly to be dropped. Citing the state law which has been in place in 1943, Greenberg argued that it's an invasion of privacy that makes it "illegal to have private, consensual sexual intercourse."

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“This statute is facially unconstitutional. It prohibits sexual intercourse by anybody who has an STD. The definition is vast, ranging from HIV to yeast infections … It includes HPV and ‘scabbies,'” Greenberg wrote to the court. “The only requirement is that the individual knows that they have the venereal disease. In other words, it prohibits two consenting adults from having sexual intercourse if either, or both, know that they have an infectious venereal disease... It does not require that the disease be passed on, nor does it allow the consenting adults to have sexual intercourse if the venereal disease is disclosed beforehand. It does not permit the use of a condom, or account for modern day suppression drugs."

Kelly is accused by Faith Rodgers of transmitting genital herpes to her without disclosing the fact that he had the STD. Kelly has denied that he has herpes but the prosecutors on the case have claimed that he's carrying an "infectious venereal disease" from his medical records.


About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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