R. Kelly was sentenced to 20 years in prison in his Chicago case, but most of that time will be served concurrently with his 30-year sentence from his New York conviction. Moreover, the disgraced artist will serve 19 of those 20 years at the same time he’ll serve his other sentence, with one year of this new sentence served after his 30 years in a Chicago federal prison. Furthermore, U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber added just one more year to Kelly’s overall sentence, totaling at 31 years. Also, he was convicted on charges of child pornography and enticement of minors in his Chicago case. On the other hand, his New York sentence came from convictions of racketeering and sex trafficking charges. All these charges, convictions, and sentences are on a federal level.
Furthermore, the sentence is less than what prosecutors and victims sought in the case. They believed Kelly’s crimes constituted jail time for the rest of his life, and wanted the Chicago sentence to come into effect after he served his New York time. “The only way to ensure Kelly does not reoffend is to impose a sentence that will keep him in prison for the rest of his life,” they expressed to Judge Leinenweber in court documents requesting an additional 25 years.
R. Kelly’s 20-Year Sentence Is A Year-Long One In Practice
However, defense attorneys maintained that his existing 30-year sentence already constituted a practically lifetime sentence. For example, they pointed out many of the R&B singer’s past traumas, defending that he was a hurt person who hurt people. Also, they brought up the star’s diabetes condition and made seemingly successful arguments for leniency in his sentencing. In a riskier move, Kelly’s legal team argued that the government sought to convict him on previously acquitted charges, and had mentioned accusations of racial bias compared to other celebrities.
Overall, the judge ruled that the singer’s actions did not merit a sex trafficking sentencing enhancement. Leinenweber disagreed with prosecutors on the claim that Kelly used fear to seduce young girls, even after testimonies. Furthermore, he stated that deterrence is not a valid factor, since Kelly already lost his wealth and status as a result of his deplorable crimes. Regardless of your take on the sentence, come back to HNHH for the latest news and updates on R. Kelly.