Hot 21 Radio

R. Kelly and his lawyers are asking a judge to dismiss bribery charges against him as he stands trial for exploiting young women and girls!

September 19, 2021 R. Kellys lawyers are asking a judge to dismiss one of the most significant charges against him as he stands trial for exploiting young women and girls! R. Kelly and his legal team are hoping to have one of the major charges filed against him dismissed before jury deliberations begin. The singer is accused of racketeering, comprised of 14 underlying acts which could send him to prison for hundreds of years. Prosecutors claim R. Kelly oversaw an enterprise that engaged in several illegal activities. The singer is accused of kidnapping, sex trafficking, violating The Mann Act, and bribery, after his tour manager admitted to bribing a government worker in 1994 to obtain a fake ID for Aaliyah. During his trial, his tour manager Demetrius Smith testified that R. Kelly married the 15-year-old to protect himself, after learning the late singer was pregnant with his child. A 1994 marriage certificate presented during the trial listed R. Kellys age as 27, while Aaliyahs age was falsely listed as 18. New court filings reveal that R. Kelly is hoping to have the bribery charges dismissed entirely. R. Kellys lawyers told a judge that the Illinois statute regarding bribery states the following: The person charged pursuant to the statute has to either promise or tender property to another person with the intent to cause the other person to influence the performance of official act. The singers lawyer insists that Demetrius Smith acted by himself and on his own accord, when he bribed the government official to get Aaliyahs fake ID so R. Kelly could marry the underaged teen. According to Smiths testimony, R. Kelly was not present when he discussed anything about money; and that he received the money from another person not Mr Kelly. His lawyers maintain the statute clearly states that R. Kelly would have had to tender property directly to the person bribed or tender property to the third person with the intent to cause the third person to influence the official act. R. Kellys defense team believes the count related to bribery should be dismissed. Posted in Read more