Coronavirus Won’t Get R. Kelly Out of Jail
I don’t blame R. Kelly for trying to get out of jail because of the coronavirus. Outbreaks of the virus in prisons are going to be bad; they’re basically the perfect breeding ground for diseases like COVID-19.
But TMZ reports that Kelly won’t be granted pre-trial release because he’s a flight risk.
According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the judge said among the several reasons why the disgraced singer will NOT get out of jail is because he’s still a flight risk. The judge said “[Kelly] is currently in custody because of the risks that he will flee or attempt to obstruct, threaten or intimidate prospective witnesses. The defendant has not explained how those risks have changed.”
While I support ending cash bail entirely, that wouldn’t help Kelly since people at a risk of not showing up for trial would still be held.
What’s more … the judge says she ain’t buying Kelly’s part of the at-risk group ’cause he “is fifty-three years old, twelve years younger than the cohort of ‘older adults’ defined by the CDC as at high risk.”
Kelly had argued he’s had surgery while in jail, but the judge said, “he does not explain how his surgical history places him at a higher risk of severe illness. Moreover, officials in Chicago have advised the government that doctors have completed all treatment for the defendant’s recent operation.”
Kelly is probably right that he is more at risk, any sort of underlying condition could be a risk factor. And it’s not hard to believe Kelly’s claims that the prisons aren’t taking the proper precautions against the virus since basically no prison in the US is. Kelly has the means to advocate for himself while a lot of prisoners don’t, and while I don’t feel too sorry for him, let’s not forget he hasn’t been convicted of a crime yet and a lot of people in the same position as him aren’t in Page Six.