(AllHipHop News) R. Kelly can forget about getting a taste of freedom any time soon.
That's because a judge just shot down the jailed singer's attempt to get out of the MCC prison in Chicago, over his fear of catching the coronavirus.
R. Kelly's lawyer Steve Greenberg insisted his client was languishing in prison as he awaits trial for racketeering, for allegedly overseeing a sex enterprise that exploited teenaged girls and women.
R. Kelly claimed he was at a high risk of catching the coronavirus because of the unsanitary conditions inside of the jail, where he said it was "impossible" to practice social distancing.
To make matters worse, the 53-year-old is still trying to recover from a hernia operation he underwent behind bars in January of 2020.
United States District Judge Ann M. Donnelly acknowledged R. Kelly's justifiable concerns for his health, but the fear of God was not enough to get the "I Believe I Can Fly" singer uncaged, especially since there have been no cases of COVID-19 at MCC.
"While I am sympathetic to the defendant’s understandable anxiety about COVID-19, he has not established compelling reasons warranting his release. At present, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 at the MCC in Chicago," Judge Donnelly said.
The judge also told R. Kelly to forget about using his hernia operation as an excuse to argue he is at a higher risk of contracting the deadly disease.
"Although the defendant has had surgery during his incarceration, he does not explain how his surgical history places him at a higher risk of severe illness," Judge Donnelly wrote.
And most importantly R. Kelly could attempt to threaten the witnesses in his case or even worse, simply vanish if he is released back into the population, pandemic or not.
"The defendant here has not demonstrated an analogous change in circumstances that would alter the Court’s conclusion that he is a flight risk and that he poses danger to the community, particularly to prospective witnesses," Judge Donnelly ruled as she denied the singer's motion for release.
