NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) — A federal judge denied a request from R. Kelly seeking a release from jail over fears from COVID-19.
U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly in the Eastern District of New York ruled that Kelly had demonstrated “no compelling reasons” for a temporary release, noting that she still considered him to be a flight risk.
“While I am sympathetic to the defendant’s understandable anxiety about COVID-19, he has not established compelling reasons warranting his release,” U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly said in her ruling.
“The defendant is currently in custody because of the risks that he will flee or attempt to obstruct, threaten or intimidate prospective witnesses. The defendant has not explained how those risks have changed,” Donnelly added. “Accordingly, the defendant’s motion for a bail hearing and an order granting his temporary release is denied.”
The judge also determined that there were no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the detention center and that Kelly was not in a high-risk category as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
