Cook County prosecutors to drop R. Kelly sex assault cases - CBS Chicago

Cook County State's Attorney's bureau drops charges against R. Kelly

Cook County State's Attorney's bureau drops charges against R. Kelly 02:53

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx volition beryllium dropping 4 indictments accusing R. Kelly of intersexual maltreatment and assault, with the disgraced vocalist already facing decades successful situation pursuing 2 abstracted convictions connected national charges.

A presumption proceeding successful Kelly's cases successful Cook County is scheduled for Tuesday, but connected Monday afternoon, Foxx announced her bureau "will nary longer beryllium pursuing these indictments" and volition inquire a justice to disregard those charges.

"Sometimes justness is served adjacent erstwhile determination is nary conviction," Foxx said.

The indictments were filed against Kelly successful February 2019, and Foxx asked the nationalist to travel guardant with accusation astatine that time. But the Cook County lawsuit has languished arsenic national prosecutors successful Chicago and New York moved guardant much rapidly with different enactment transgression cases against the singer, and the COVID-19 pandemic caused important delays for courts crossed the country.

The charges day backmost arsenic acold arsenic 1998. Illinois has nary statute of limitations connected kid enactment maltreatment charges. Nine of the counts against Kelly specify the unfortunate was betwixt 13 and 16. One number did not specify immoderate ages. In the 1 lawsuit successful which the unfortunate was not identified arsenic a minor, Kelly is accused of forcing intersexual interaction connected the unfortunate by usage of unit oregon the menace of force.

The charges place the victims lone by initials, and the dates of the alleged abuse:

• H.W. (13-16 years of age), unfortunate of 4 counts of aggravated transgression intersexual maltreatment betwixt May 26, 1998, and May 25, 1999;
• J.P. (13-16 years of age), unfortunate of 3 counts of aggravated transgression intersexual maltreatment betwixt May 1, 2009, and Jan. 31, 2010;
• R.L. (13-16 years of age), unfortunate of 2 counts of aggravated transgression intersexual maltreatment betwixt Sept. 26, 1998, and Sept. 25, 2001;
• L.C. (no property given), unfortunate of 1 number of aggravated transgression intersexual maltreatment connected Feb. 18, 2003.

Cook County State's Attorney drops charges against R. Kelly 02:23

Kelly, 56, apt already volition walk the remainder of his beingness successful prison, arsenic helium is already facing a 30-year situation condemnation pursuing a 2021 racketeering condemnation successful national tribunal New York, and Foxx said helium faces 10 to 90 much years successful situation pursuing his condemnation successful national tribunal successful Chicago connected charges of kid pornography and enticing minors to prosecute successful sex.

"Due to the extended sentences that these convictions hold, our bureau has decided not to proceed to expend our constricted resources and tribunal clip with the indictments that we antecedently charged Mr. Kelly," Foxx said. "Mr. Kelly is perchance looking astatine the anticipation of ne'er walking retired of situation again for the crimes helium has committed. This office, successful the pursuit of justness for the victims successful our indictment – arsenic good arsenic those crossed the state – worked tirelessly to get america to this point. While today's cases are nary longer being pursued, we judge that justness has been served successful the sentences that person already been handed down to Mr. Kelly, arsenic good arsenic the condemnation that volition travel down adjacent month."

Foxx besides said that she believes, with Kelly already facing a lengthy situation sentence, her office's constricted resources would beryllium enactment to amended usage pursuing different cases of intersexual battle and intersexual abuse.

She said her bureau consulted with Kelly's accusers successful the Cook County cases earlier deciding not to determination guardant with the indictments against Kelly. She said reactions to the determination were mixed.

"There was nary consistency successful reaction. We bash person a subsister who was disappointed that she would not person her time successful court. Some of our survivors, immoderate of those who person been named successful our petitions, person had justness successful courtrooms that were not present successful the Cook County courthouse, and for them the process and going done this process was precise difficult, and they are pleased with the result related to the condemnation and the judgement against Mr. Kelly," she said. "For those who did not person an accidental to enactment their manus connected the Bible, oregon who person felt for the past 20 years that their symptom was not recognized, surely this is simply a disappointing time for them."

Foxx said Kelly's accusers "are to beryllium commended for their bravery and their relentless pursuit of justice, nary substance however agelong it took."

Lanita Carter came guardant with her sanction successful 2019. Her accusations against Kelly, on with the accusations of 3 different women, led to Kelly's apprehension that year. Carter issued a connection precocious Monday decrying Foxx's decision:

"I americium the L.C. in People of the State of Illinois v. Robert Kelly, Case No. 19CR-2758. My sanction is Lanita Carter. I americium highly disappointed successful the State's Attorney's Office's determination to disregard their cases against R. Kelly, including the lawsuit wherever I americium the victim. I person spent astir 20 years hoping that my abuser would beryllium brought to justness for what helium did to me.  With today's announcement, each anticipation of justness for my lawsuit is gone.

"When I was sexually assaulted by R. Kelly successful February 2003, I instantly went to instrumentality enforcement, and the State's Attorney's Office failed to prosecute my case. I decided to stock my communicative for a 2nd clip erstwhile Kim Foxx called for victims of R. Kelly to travel guardant successful 2019. I chose to spot my spot successful her and her office, and I've spent astir 4 years preparing myself—mentally and emotionally—to look my abuser and archer my story. Over the past respective weeks, aft I came to larn that the State's Attorney's Office was considering dismissing these cases, I pleaded with Kim Foxx and her squad to spot the cases through. Justice has been denied for maine a 2nd time, making today's determination that overmuch much hard to comprehend and accept."

Meanwhile, an lawyer for Greenberg said Kelly has subjected to unfair treatment.

"Hopefully, it's the archetypal of galore reversals successful his plight," said lawyer Steve Greenberg, who represents Kelly. "I don't deliberation that immoderate of the cases should person been brought, I thought they were reactionary. They were pitchfork justice. They were responding to assemblage outcry."

Greenberg continued: "I deliberation R. Kelly realizes this is an uphill battle. He's battling against the nationalist perception, which has made it precise hard to get a just proceeding anywhere."

 In erstwhile hearings connected the charges successful Cook County, Kelly's defence attorneys had sought to person the charges dropped, arguing they transportation a lighter imaginable condemnation than the national cases successful which he's already been convicted.

A regularly-scheduled proceeding Tuesday greeting is erstwhile the authorities is expected to inquire a justice to disregard the charges against Kelly.

Cook County prosecutors dropping charges successful R. Kelly enactment maltreatment case 02:05

In September 2021, a national assemblage convicted Kelly of each counts aft a six-week proceedings connected racketeering and enactment trafficking charges successful New York. Several women, underage astatine the time, accused Kelly of utilizing them for perverse and sadistic whims. Those allegations included taking immoderate crossed authorities lines for enactment acts.

Kelly was recovered blameworthy of a racketeering charge. It was 1 count, but lists 14 underlying acts including kidnapping, forced labor, enactment trafficking, and bribery. The authorities had to beryllium astatine slightest 2 of the 14. Kelly was besides charged with 8 counts of violating the Mann Act, which makes it amerciable to transport anyone crossed authorities lines for immoderate immoral purpose.

The prosecution argued Kelly ran an endeavor of assistants, bodyguards and others, each utilized to recruit, groom and exploit underage girls, boys, and young women for his ain intersexual gratification.

Among the claims elaborate astatine proceedings – his marriage to the precocious R&B vocalist Aaliyah, and however a authorities idiosyncratic was bribed to get her a fake ID truthful Kelly could wed the then-15-year-old due to the fact that helium feared helium had gotten her pregnant.

Witnesses testified astir being locked successful rooms and having to inquire support to leave, oregon usage the bathroom. Others alleged Kelly gave them herpes without disclosing helium had an STD.

In September 2022, a national assemblage successful Chicago convicted Kelly of six counts accusing him of sexually abusing his 14-year-old goddaughter "Jane" and different girls connected video. The aforesaid assemblage acquitted him of 7 different charges, including obstruction of justice, and conspiracy to person kid pornography, accusing him and 2 associates of rigging his 2008 kid pornography proceedings successful Cook County. His 2 associates, Derrel McDavid and Milton Brown, were acquitted of related charges.

Kelly was convicted of 3 of 4 counts accusing him of producing kid pornography by filming himself having enactment with his underage goddaughter, who testified against him nether the pseudonym "Jane." Jurors saw parts of those 3 videos successful court. Jurors acquitted him of a 4th kid pornography complaint involving a portion that Jane and prosecutors said showed Kelly having a threesome with Jane and his ex-girlfriend, Lisa Van Allen, but that portion was not shown successful court. Prosecutors had argued that's due to the fact that Kelly and his squad successfully covered it up.

Jurors acquitted Kelly and McDavid, his erstwhile concern manager, of a conspiracy to obstruct justness complaint that accused them of rigging his 2008 kid pornography proceedings successful Cook County by covering up incriminating enactment tapes, and intimidating and paying disconnected Jane and her parents to support his maltreatment of her secret.

Kelly, McDavid, and Brown besides were acquitted of a conspiracy to person kid pornography complaint accusing them of trying to retrieve and screen up 3 enactment tapes involving Jane. Kelly and McDavid besides were acquitted of 2 charges of receiving kid pornography, involving further claims they tried to retrieve and screen up different videos involving Jane. The government's lawsuit connected those charges rested successful ample portion connected grounds from Charles Freeman and Lisa Van Allen, who defence attorneys described arsenic liars retired to extort Kelly for money.

Finally, Kelly was convicted of 3 of 5 charges accusing him of enticing minors to prosecute successful intersexual activity, but acquitted of 2 different charges. Jurors convicted him of enticement charges involving Jane, and 2 different accusers testifying nether the pseudonyms "Nia" and "Pauline," portion acquitting him of enticement charges involving accusers "Tracy" and "Brittany."

Jane had accused Kelly of sexually abusing her hundreds of times aft becoming her godfather erstwhile she was lone 14 years old. Prosecutors showed the assemblage 3 videos that they said showed Kelly having enactment with Jane, including 1 that showed him telling her to laic connected the level portion helium urinated connected her.

Nia had testified she archetypal met Kelly successful 1996, erstwhile she was lone 15 years old, and that they had 2 intersexual encounters, 1 astatine a edifice during his performance circuit successful Minnesota, and different aboriginal that twelvemonth astatine his euphony workplace successful Chicago.

Pauline testified that Jane introduced her to Kelly erstwhile she was lone 14 years old, and the 3 soon started having threesomes, earlier Pauline started her ain intersexual narration with Kelly unsocial erstwhile she was 15. She estimated she had enactment with Kelly much than 80 times and had 60 threesomes with Kelly and Jane betwixt the ages of 14 and 16.

Tracy testified that she met Kelly successful 1999 erstwhile she was an off-the-books intern for an Epic Records executive, and claimed that, erstwhile she was lone 16, Kelly "forced himself" connected her astatine a downtown Chicago hotel. She said the 2 aboriginal developed a intersexual narration that continued beyond her 17th birthday. But defence attorneys formed doubts connected her claims, pointing to a past suit she filed against Kelly successful which she claimed they met and started having enactment successful 2000, erstwhile she was 17 years old.

Brittany did not attest astatine trial, and portion some Jane and Pauline testified to having threesomes with Kelly and Brittany erstwhile they were conscionable girls, defence attorneys seized connected the information Brittany didn't attest herself, asking jurors successful closing arguments "Where is Brittany?!"

Kelly is scheduled to beryllium sentenced successful that lawsuit connected Feb. 23. He faces up to 20 years successful situation for each of 3 kid pornography convictions successful that case, and up to 10 years successful situation for each of 3 counts of enticing a insignificant to prosecute successful intersexual activity.

His trials connected the Cook County cases person been delayed for years owed some to the COVID-19 pandemic, and his 2 national trials.

Kelly also is facing charges successful Hennepin County, Minnesota, accusing him of engaging successful prostitution with a insignificant successful July 2021. That lawsuit besides has yet to spell to trial.