R. Kelly’s lawyers want herpes, bribery charges dropped in last-ditch effort as jury selection begins
- His legal team argue allegations he knowingly transmitted herpes to victims are illegitimate because the law only applies to gonorrhoea and syphilis
- They say the statute of limitations has passed on other charges – including bribing a Chicago clerk to marry him to singer Aaliyah even though she was underage
Lawyers for disgraced R&B superstar R. Kelly have asked a judge to dismiss numerous criminal charges against the singer, just as jury selection in his sex trafficking trial began.
They also argued that the allegation Kelly, 54, knowingly transmitted herpes to some of his other victims is illegitimate because the law “does not apply to herpes”. They claim it applies more specifically to gonorrhoea and syphilis.
“To allow the government to move forward with those counts would be to allow a clear mischaracterisation and interpretation of the application of the statute, considering the statute clearly does not incorporate herpes,” Kelly’s lawyer, Thomas Farinella, wrote.
The judge in the case, Ann Donnelly, asked federal prosecutors to respond to the motion to dismiss this week.