R Kelly Uses Statute Of Limitations Argument Against Supreme Court For Sex Charges

BYZachary Horvath1302 Views
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R. Kelly pleads not guilty to a new indictment before Judge Lawrence Flood at Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago on June 6, 2019. - R&B star R. Kelly pleaded not guilty Thursday in a Chicago courtroom to 11 new felony sex crime charges. The charges were a refiling of one of the four cases of alleged abuse that prosecutors lodged against the singer earlier this year. (Photo by E. Jason Wambsgans / POOL / AFP) (Photo credit should read E. JASON WAMBSGANS/AFP via Getty Images)
The R&B act is looking to find any loophole possible.

In February of 2023, highly maligned R&B singer R Kelly was handed down a 20-year prison sentence for possessing child pornography and inducing minors. That was tacked onto his 30-year bout on racketeering and sex trafficking charges in a New York federal court in 2022. None of this is obviously breaking news, but this short amount of background information is important. The reason being is because there is a new update in regard to the former of the two.

According to TMZ, the artist and his attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, are looking to whittle down his overall time behind bars by using the statute of limitations argument. Since these crimes took place in the 1990s, they feel that the PROTECT Act (2003) does not apply here. Bonjean pointed a specific detail of this law which is that there is no clause that says you can essentially charge someone for an alleged conduct that before the year the act was passed. However, it isn't necessarily black and white for this reason.

R Kelly & His Attorney Feel The PROTECT Act Shouldn't Be Applied

R Kelly Returns To Court For Hearing On Aggravated Sexual Abuse Charges
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JUNE 26: R&B singer R. Kelly covers his mouth as he speaks to members of his entourage as he arrives at the Leighton Criminal Courts Building for a hearing on June 26, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. Kelly is facing several counts of aggravated sexual abuse. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

If you remember, R Kelly was convicted for these crimes in 2020. Because of this, prosecutors believe the PROTECT Act is in fact fair play. Also helping their side is the fact that this law extends the statute of limitations indefinitely for alleged crimes committed post 2003. The Supreme Court will come to a conclusion in the next few months whether to hear Kelly's appeal or not.

What are your thoughts on R Kelly and his attorney making the statute of limitations argument? Do you think they have a point in regard to the PROTECT Act not applying here? Or does the court have more of a solid argument? We would like to hear what you have to say, so leave your thoughts in the comments. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding R Kelly. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.

About The Author
Zachary Horvath is one of the Music Freelance News Writers at HotNewHipHop and has held that title since August 2023. Prior to this position, he held another freelance gig covering local high school football, girls and boys varsity basketball, in addition to recapping Cleveland Cavaliers games remotely. He's taken the previous experience and used it to become a jack of all trades at HotNewHipHop. Zach has thoroughly enjoyed tackling some of the trending topics in sports, with a larger focus on hip-hop and pop culture. Some of those include Bronny James's draft stock, a multitude of angles swirling around the Drake and Kendrick Lamar beef, as well as Diddy's arrest and lawsuits. Separate from the headlines that everyone wants to hear about, he was fortunate enough to help spread Zaytoven's current thoughts at the time around mid-December in 2023. Even though being able to give his expertise on these stories is fulfilling, being able to share his passion for releases trumps that ever so slightly. Having the chance to express his excitement indirectly about what he thinks our readers should be checking out/revisiting grows his passion for writing that much more.

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