R. Kelly Denied Appeal On 30-Year Prison Sentence, Considers Taking Case To The U.S. Supreme Court

R. Kelly's attorney suggests they may take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

R. Kelly isn’t catching any breaks after his latest appeal attempt was denied on Wednesday.

The U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York rejected the disgraced singer’s appeal challenging his 30-year prison sentence and conviction on racketeering and sex trafficking charges, USA Today reports.

The court upheld the Grammy-winning singer’s original sentence, citing the verdict from his 2021 trial, where he was found guilty on nine counts of sex trafficking and racketeering.

“We have considered all the arguments presented by Kelly on appeal and concluded they are without merit,” the decision states.

The ruling was based on the argument that Kelly’s network of managers and aides, who facilitated his access to young girls and ensured their compliance and silence, constituted a criminal enterprise. After the appeal was rejected, Kelly’s attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, expressed her “disappointment” with the ruling but hinted at the possibility of taking the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

“We believe the United States Supreme Court will be interested in reviewing this unprecedented opinion that gives the government limitless discretion to apply the RICO statute to situations absurdly remote from the statute’s intent,” Bonjean said in a statement. “The statute was intended to punish organized crime—not individual conduct. This decision paves the way for prosecutorial abuse of the RICO statute.”

Last March, Kelly’s legal team appealed his conviction, focusing on the racketeering statute used to convict him. They sought to have his conviction overturned or, at the very least, get the singer a retrial.

The appeal challenged various aspects of Kelly’s 2021 conviction, including the evidence supporting his racketeering and Mann Act charges. In addition to racketeering, Kelly was convicted on criminal counts for violating the Mann Act, which prohibits taking someone across state lines “for any immoral purpose.”

The U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals determined there was “sufficient evidence to support each of Kelly’s convictions, including for the state and federal violations underlying his Mann Act convictions.”

“Enabled by a constellation of managers, assistants, and other staff for over 25 years, Kelly exploited his fame to lure girls and young women into his grasp,” the court said in its decision. “Evidence at trial showed that he would isolate them from friends and family, control nearly every aspect of their lives, and abuse them verbally, physically, and sexually.”

Kelly also contested the validity of restitution payments made to two of his victims, who contracted herpes as a result of their sexual encounters with him. Kelly’s victims, Jane and Stephanie, both claim that the singer began sexual relationships with them when they were underage.

Jane was awarded more than $281,000 in restitution for her herpes treatment, while Stephanie received over $70,000. The U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed that it was “satisfied” with the district court’s restitution order for a name-brand drug.