R. Kelly has been removed from suicide watch after the disgraced singer claimed the special protective custody was “cruel and unconstitutional.”
Federal authorities placed Kelly under watch “for his own safety” after he was sentenced to 30 years in prison for sexually abusing young women.
Kelly’s lawyers argued that the measure was nothing more than a form of punishment.
His attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, filed a civil lawsuit on Friday claiming the status was unfair and unnecessary.
She wrote:
Nothing occurred during sentencing that came as a surprise to Mr. Kelly.
While the conditions of suicide watch may be appropriate for individuals who are truly at risk of hurting themselves, they are cruel and unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment for individuals who are not suicidal.
After the singer spent the holiday weekend in special protective custody, the government attorney released the following statement confirming the singer had been removed from suicide watch:
Following a clinical assessment, plaintiff Robert Sylvester Kelly, also known as ‘R. Kelly,’ was removed from suicide watch as of this morning, July 5, 2022.
Because plaintiff has already been removed from suicide watch, there is nothing more that the court can do for him.
On August 15, he will stand trial in Chicago federal court on charges of possession of child pornography and obstruction of justice.
If convicted, R. Kelly could receive more prison time in addition to his current 30-year sentence.
His attorney is planning to appeal his 30-year conviction in an effort to get it overturned.
You may recall, that Jennifer Bonjean was instrumental in getting Bill Cosby’s conviction vacated by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
Do you think there is a chance she could get R. Kelly’s conviction overturned?
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
