R. Kelly fears he'll catch coronavirus in jail and seeks immediate release
27 March 2020, 17:22
Singer R. Kelly has requested to be released from jail after fears of contracting the coronavirus.
R. Kelly has filed a motion to be released from Chicago Metropolitan Correctional Center on bond, due to his coronavirus concerns.
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On Thursday (Mar 16) he 53-year-old singer filed the motion through his attorney Steven Greenberg, asking for his release as he awaits his next trial later this year.
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According to Complex, the "Bump 'N Grind" singer claimed that he cannot remain at Chicago MCC, especially since he is "within the group of people the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has categorized as most-at-risk for contracting COVID-19".
In the court documents, Greenberg refers to the Bail Reform Act, which allows for the "temporary release" of a person in pretrial custody if it's deemed necessary "for preparation of the person's defense or for another compelling reason".
Kelly's lawyer has put forward both scenarios as being possible means for the singer to get released.
Greenerg also revealed that the coronavirus outbreak has made it difficult for the pair to meet with his legal team.
Greenberg highlights that the singers age and a recent surgery while incarcerated make Kelly more susceptible to contracting the virus.
Kelly's lawyer continued on to explain why he believes that the Chicago MCC is not a safe place for his client.
Greenerg made it clear he wants Kelly released as the pandemic continues to spread, despite the safety measures taken.
"No matter what steps they take the sanitation will be substandard, the risk of an internal pandemic at the MCC is great, and if one does get sick jail healthcare is notoriously substandard," the court document reads.
Kelly would live at the Roosevelt Collection Lofts apartment complex with one of his girlfriends, Joycelyn Savage, if he gets released.
Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine filed a similar request, claiming that his asthma and other pre-existing conditions make him more vulnerable to the COVID-19 disease.
