R. Kelly was reportedly placed on suicide watch following his sentencing on Wednesday (June 29). According to CNN, Kelly’s attorney Jennifer Bonjean said the embattled R&B singer is under the watchful eye of the New York federal detention facility where he’s being held.
Bonjean, however, denies her client is thinking of harming himself, telling the outlet, “The irony of putting someone on suicide watch when they’re not suicidal is it actually causes more harm.” Prosecutors who spoke with prison officials told Bonjean he was only given those conditions because of his celebrity status.
Bonjean added, “It’s punishment for being high-profile. And it’s horrifying frankly. To put someone under suicide watch under those conditions is cruel and unusual when they don’t need it.”
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R. Kelly was slapped with a 30-year prison sentence in a New York City courtroom earlier this week. Kelly was facing between 10 years to life behind bars for sex trafficking and Judge Ann Donnelly certainly wasn’t conservative when handing down the sentence.
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Bonjean said in a post-sentencing press conference, she planned to appeal, noting the additional Racketeer Influenced & Corrupt Organization (RICO) act charge was “inappropriate.”
“These were not a RICO act violation,” Bonjean said at the 2:36-minute mark. “These were isolated events that happened many years and the government simply tried to plead around the statute of limitations to bring in a RICO charge, which was inappropriate.
R. Kelly Attorney Calls RICO Charge 'Inappropriate' + Vows To Appeal: 'There Was No Enterprise'
“All I can tell you is there was no enterprise. There was no enterprise. It was one man with allegations by a number of women, which doesn’t make it an enterprise, and that is why he’s not guilty of racketeering.
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Bonjean added she was “excited” about the appeal and “confident” their arguments will persuade the court of appeals. She later admitted she advised Kelly to invoke his Fifth Amendment rights to remain silent and not take the stand. Watch the video below.
