By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Song Podcast
BBC - Decrypt - LightRead - Honduras - Source
FEDERAL COURT, July 22 – There was an R.Kelly arraignment amid the COVID-19 pandemic on April 30 before U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York Magistrate Judge Cheryl L. Pollak. It was short - not guilty plea - but revealed that the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago has a new medical report on R.Kelly that may become part of a renewed bail application. Inner City Press live tweeted it here; more on Patreon here.
On February 1, Inner City Press reported that Richard Airline was set to plead guilty on February 2.
And on February 2, it happened. Inner City Press live tweeted it here.
On June 30, Judge Ann M. Donnelly has released her jury questionnaire including:
"Do you or have you read any books, blogs, social media sites or other websites about celebrities or crimes, including sexual abuse, or watch or listen to any TV programs, movies, podcasts or documentaries about celebrities or crimes, including sexual abuse?"
Then Judge Donnelly said that for the trial, no media in the courtroom and no call in line. The latter is ridiculous, as throughout the COVID pandemic there have been call in lines, and still are in the SDNY for example Judge Rakoff's Sidney Scales trial. Some media wrote in, concluding " The proposed pool of six would still allow for social distancing and masking in the courtroom. We therefore respectfully request that this Court reconsider its order limiting press access to this trial, and in recognition of the First Amendment right of access, permit a limited pool of reporters to attend this important trial in-person."
But why not requesting a call-in line, such as Inner City Press requested and obtained elsewhere? We'll have more on this, and related issues.
Inner City Press will continue to follow and report on the case. It is US v. Robert Sylvester Kelly, a/k/a R. Kelly, EDNY Docket No. 19-cr-286 (AMD). More on Patreon here.
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