R&B singer R. Kelly faces 24 criminal charges as the result of multiple accusations spanning two decades and in three different states: New York, Illinois and Minnesota. Kelly’s trial began last Wednesday in New York, where he faces nine counts of sex trafficking and racketeering.
“This case is about a predator,” said Crus Melendez in her opening statement. “…A man who for decades used his fame and his popularity in order to target girls, boys, and young women for his own sexual gratification.”
Kelly’s trial has faced multiple delays due to the pandemic; Kelly has been in custody since 2019. The federal trial now underway in New York is expected to go on for about a month, but Kelly will soon face other charges in other jurisdictions.
In a recent interview on Law & Crime Network, Denver defense lawyer Jeffrey Wolf discussed the scope of Kelly’s charges and how it might impact the case.
“I think the prosecution thinks they can fly…” Wolf said. “What you have here is a very common tactic by prosecutors where they will charge everything they can charge and hope that something sticks. It’s giving the jury a lot of options to consider when looking at this really convoluted and really dark case. He’s going to have an uphill battle…it’s going to be pretty hard to get a jury in there to deliver an impartial verdict, so I don’t think Kelly stands a very good chance of vindication…”
Watch the full video for extended commentary from Jeff Wolf or for more details about the case.
