R. Kelly's attorneys granted slight delay to opening statements of sex abuse trial

Record ID: 1625603

  • Title: R. Kelly's attorneys granted slight delay to opening statements of sex abuse trial
  • Date: 8th July 2021
  • Summary: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (JULY 8, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MUSICIAN R. KELLY'S ATTORNEYS OUTSIDE OF BROOKLYN FEDERAL COURTHOUSE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ATTORNEY FOR R. KELLY, DEVERAUX LEON CANNICK, SAYING: JOURNALIST ASKING (OFF CAMERA): "How is he doing today?" CANNICK: "You know, you can imagine. He just got out of quarantine and he's been stuck in quarantine for the last 14 days, he's been brought from Chicago, here. So of course, he's frustrated, tired and concerned." (SOUNDBITE) (English) ATTORNEY FOR R. KELLY, DEVERAUX LEON CANNICK, SAYING: "I think that we'll make the situation right. We will have to take the time to make sure that he understands, comprehends everything that's going on. And the most important thing is that we just need his assistance in this defense. He has information that only he can give us and we need to find the time and make the time to get that from him. So our concern, primarily, is to make sure that what the court just articulated in terms of access and that access is real." (SOUNDBITE) (English) ATTORNEY FOR R. KELLY, NICOLE BECKER, SAYING: "The only thing I would add is there's a whole another unfortunate side to the whole thing of how Mr. Kelly is being treated. Obviously, we can't talk about the facts of the case, but this has been an ongoing thing that we've tried to bring to the public. And unfortunately, no one has cared, for lack of better words. We always hope that he's treated the same as anyone else should be treated. Unfortunately, he's been locked up for two years now and some of those experiences really have been grossly inappropriate. So we're hoping he's healthy and ready and we are having the appropriate access that we need." (SOUNDBITE) (English) ATTORNEY FOR R. KELLY, THOMAS FARINELLA, SAYING: "The conditions are deplorable. As lawyers, it's hard to comprehend how we're in this country, in this day and age, and the system is what it is. But, we're going to do the best we can to get through it. And having access to him and being able to spend significant amounts of time with him is what we need." ATTORNEYS OUTSIDE OF COURTHOUSE CANNICK OUTSIDE OF COURTHOUSE COURTHOUSE / CANNICK SITTING ON PARK BENCH (SOUNDBITE) (English) ATTORNEY FOR R. KELLY, DEVERAUX LEON CANNICK, SAYING: JOURNALIST ASKING (OFF CAMERA): "Do you think Judge Donnelly is going to proactively give the order?" CANNICK: "I think that what she's suggested is that she proactively will make the order and that's what we're anticipating and we'll remind her of it tomorrow. We'll remind her deputy and certainly whatever we experience tomorrow, we'll share with the court. Hopefully it's smooth. Hopefully we get the access and there won't be an issue, but that's just not been my experience."
  • Embargoed: 22nd July 2021 21:28
  • Keywords: R. Kelly child pornography kidnapping sexual abuse
  • Location: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, AND CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AND LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, AND LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
  • City: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, AND CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AND LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, AND LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions,United States
  • Reuters ID: LVA001EKZEPMV
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: R. Kelly's attorneys were granted a week and a half delay from an August 9 trial to August 18 by a federal judge on Thursday (July 8), after Kelly fired two of his defense lawyers and hired a new attorney, exposing deep rifts in the singer's legal defense team ahead of his sex abuse trial in New York.
    U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly in Brooklyn delayed opening statements to August 18. Donnelly said jury selection would start on August 9 as originally scheduled but would delay opening statements to August 18 instead of right after the jury is selected.
    Last month, Kelly fired Steve Greenberg and Michael Leonard, leaving him with defense lawyers Nicole Becker and Thomas Farinella and later in June hired New York attorney Deveraux Leon Cannick.
    Kelly's attorneys asked to delay the trial so they could adequately prepare and have more time with their client.
    Known for such hits as "I Believe I Can Fly" and "Bump N' Grind," Kelly, 54, has faced sexual abuse allegations dating back more than two decades, including in the January 2019 Lifetime documentary "Surviving R. Kelly."
    The Grammy Award-winning singer has pleaded not guilty to all criminal charges in cases filed in New York, Illinois and Minnesota, and has been held without bail for nearly two years.
    Brooklyn prosecutors accused Kelly of running a criminal scheme in which women and underage girls were recruited to have sexual activity with him.
    The Chicago case includes charges that Kelly engaged in sex acts with five minors, and used threats to keep victims quiet.
    (Production: Andrew Hofstetter, Roselle Chen)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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