Federal prosecutors said in a letter Monday that they opposed Kelly’s decision to postpone her conviction for sex trafficking in New York.
In their letter to Brooklyn federal court judge Anne Donnelly, prosecutors argued that Kelly’s victims had “waited years” to “keep” and punish the humiliated R&B singer.
The subtle remarks came in response to a motion filed by Kelly’s new attorney, Jennifer Ann Bonzin, last Tuesday – asking Donnelly to postpone the May 4 sentencing of the 54-year-old singer until a separate trial in August in Illinois on federal charges. Obstacles to child pornography and justice.
Kelly was convicted in September of nine counts of aggravated assault – including harassment and violations of the law, which prohibits the transportation of “any woman or girl” across state lines for “immoral purposes.” He faces up to 10 years in prison.
Bonjin, at his request, expressed concern that the possible testimony given to Kelly’s sentencing expert for a sentencing hearing could be used against him in his Illinois case, according to the letter.
The lawyer wrote that “he cannot advise Mr. Kelly to be examined or interviewed by a mitigation expert to convict him in this case if his words could be used against him in any way in his pending NDIL trial.”
But prosecutors dismissed his argument as “speculative concern.” They argued that “it undermines credibility [Kelly] Tell a potential mitigation expert something that will blame him. ”In his other case.
Prosecutors added that they would not share any such mitigation reports with prosecutors from the northern district of Illinois and would “welcome a court order that further prohibits such disclosures.”
“As evidenced by the trial, the defendant was involved in a wide range of criminal activities, including multiple victims, including decades of impunity,” prosecutors wrote in the letter. “Its victims have waited for years for the accused to be held accountable and punished for his crimes.”
They said many of the victims were already scheduled to travel to New York for sentencing on May 4.
