R.Kelly Is Looking To Appeal His Racketeering And Sex-Trafficking Conviction With The Help Of Bill Cosby’s Former Lawyer

Source: Chicago Tribune / Getty

R. Kelly is looking to appeal his racketeering and sex trafficking conviction with a little help from Jennifer Bonjean, the same lawyer who helped to overturn Bill Cosby’s high-profile sexual assault case.

According to The Chicago Tribune, Bonjean appeared in the U.S. District Court in Brooklyn on Oct. 28 to register alongside Kelly’s legal team. She’s also made it loud and clear that she’s looking to push for a new trial for the disgraced R&B singer. Bonjean will present her case to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Kelly is preparing to ramp up his legal team to help fight the charges in his New York Case. On Sept. 27, the Grammy-award-winning artist was found guilty on all nine counts including one count of racketeering and eight counts of violating the Mann Act related to the star’s transportation and coercion of two women including a minor the New York Times noted. The 54-year-old’s final hearing is set for May 4, 2022, where he potentially faces 10 years to life in prison.

Bonjean will now oversee having the conviction set aside in favor of a new trial. Ultimately, Judge Ann Donnelly will have the power to approve or deny the request. The report also notes that Bonjean has “already asked for a two-month extension on post-trial motions” that is reportedly due on Nov 1.

“I am becoming increasingly concerned with how the government is abusing the RICO statute in order to plead around the statute of limitations and essentially put people’s entire lives on trial,” Bonjean said in a statement. “It’s becoming a formula for the government. You have a right to defend yourself against specific allegations.”

Bonjean played a large role in helping Bill Cosby successfully overturn his sexual assault conviction in the Pennsylvania Supreme court back in July. The Cosby Show star was found guilty in 2018 of rapping and drugging Andrea Constand, a former Temple University employee. The incident occurred in 2005. Cosby served three years of his 10-year sentence shortly before his release. The star’s legal team argued that the “American Dad” icon was unfairly prosecuted because a previous judge had promised the comedian that he wouldn’t be charged in connection to Constand’s accusations, The Associated Press noted. Cosby was charged by another prosecutor who claimed that he wasn’t bound by the agreement.

“Mr. Cosby should never have been prosecuted for these offenses. District attorneys can’t change it up simply because of their political motivation,” Bonjean previously told The Chicago Sun-Times.

Back in September, the 84-year-old comedian shared a statement to his spokesperson, Andrew Wyatt about Kelly’s conviction.

“We talked about it today and the first thing he said, he was like, ‘Look, the guy was railroaded,’” Wyatt told TMZ on behalf of the star.

“What we see in America today, you know with R.Kelly, is an assault on Black men. This is an assault on successful Black men who are doing great things,” Wyatt added.