Disgraced singer R. Kelly‘s latest attempt to get released on bail before his trial has been denied by a federal appeals court in New York.
R. Kelly’s attorneys sought his release after the singer was attacked by a fellow inmate at a Illinois jail last month.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan upheld a decision by a Brooklyn federal judge to deny bail to Kelly, who will remain in the federal jail until trial.
The judges said prosecutors presented “clear and convincing evidence” that Kelly presents a potential danger to the community and is a flight risk. The appeals court said the lower court also did not err in finding Kelly failed to demonstrate a “compelling reason” for temporary release.
Meanwhile, Mike Leonard, an attorney for Kelly, called the ruling “very disappointing and somewhat surprising” because it appeared that judges understood that Kelly could not prepare for trial while in prison.
The singer is facing multiple trials on child pornography and other charges. Kelly was arrested in 2019 on 10 charges of criminal sexual abuse tied to allegations that he sexually abused four women, including three minors.