R. Kelly is seeking to have his 30-year prison sentence reconsidered and his attorney has cited frat culture during its appeal.
Speaking before the Court of Appeal on Monday (March 18), lawyer Jennifer Bonjean reportedly claimed that university associations could be considered racketeering organizations under a law used to convict the singer.
The law was used when he was convicted of three counts of child pornography and three counts of child enticement.
according to MSN, Bonjean tried to convince the justices that prosecutors improperly used a racketeering statute written to shut down organized crime to pursue R. Kelly, trying to overturn his 2021 conviction or win a new trial.
She said it was unfair that prosecutors accused Kelly of leading a racketeering influenced and corrupt organization (RICO) from 1994 to 2018.
“This was not a group of people who had a purpose to recruit girls for sexual assault or child pornography,” she said. “Whether they turned a blind eye, or some of them suspected that some of these girls were underage, is a completely different matter.
“And once we get to that kind of land, where we would say it constitutes a RICO, well, we have a lot of organizations — we have a lot of houses — we have all kinds of organizations that are now working to become RICOs.
R. Kelly says he was unaware he lost a $10.5 million lawsuit over the threat of document inspection
The judges reportedly questioned Bonjean and the prosecutor who defended the government's handling of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kayla Bensing said Kelly's network of aides and employees was part of Kelly's “established system that attracted young people into his orbit” before he “took over their lives.”
In other news related to R. Kelly's legal issues, it was revealed that he was suing the US government over commission funds that were seized over the weekend.
“The defendant is appealing his conviction and the government’s seizure of his large Bureau of Prisons account to satisfy the financial penalties imposed in the case,” the announcement said.
