R. Kelly’s lawyer is rallying for his client to be released from jail after he was reportedly attacked by a fellow inmate on Wednesday (Aug. 26). Steve Greenberg says that while the extent of Kelly’s injuries are unknown, the singer should be released out of concerns for his safety.
“Yesterday we were told that an inmate had attacked R. Kelly at the MCC [Metropolitan Correctional Center] in Chicago,” Greenberg tweeted on Thursday (Aug. 27). “We received conflicting reports as to the extent of his injuries. We have not been provided any information from the jail, nor has Mr. Kelly called. We are hopeful that he was not seriously injured.”
Greenberg added, “Regardless it is time to release Mr. Kelly. The government cannot ensure his safety, and they cannot give him his day in court. We should not incarcerate people indefinitely because we cannot provide them with due process!”
It’s unclear how the jail fight started but it didn’t last very long and Kelly was examined by a doctor, TMZ reports. The website claims that the unidentified inmate was upset that MMC had to be placed on lockdown twice, because of Kelly protestors outside of the facility.
Kelly, 53, has been in custody since last year.
The Chicago native, who is accused of sexual abuse, sex trafficking, child pornography, and a slew of other criminal charges, previously attempted to get released on bail over fears that he could contract COVID-19. His request was denied three times. Kelly’s trial dates in New York and Chicago have also been delayed due to the pandemic.