R. Kelly has a new lawyer.
The embattled singer has hired Jennifer Bonjean, the New York-based attorney who won an appeal on Bill Cosby’s sexual abuse case, to represent him when he appeals his extortionate conviction.
Bonjean, whose legal career began in Chicago, filed her appearance in Kelly’s case in the US District Court in Brooklyn, where Kelly was convicted of extortion and sexual abuse last month.
According to Chicago grandstand, Bonjean will be pushing for a new trial. However, if denied, she will appeal to the US 2nd Court of Appeals.
Bonjean is responsible for Cosby’s appeal against his Pennsylvania sex crime conviction, which ended with his release from prison. She said she looks forward to familiarizing herself with the record on Kelly’s case and believes he is a victim of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.
“I am increasingly concerned about how the government is abusing the RICO statute to circumvent the statute of limitations and bring essentially all of people’s lives to justice,” said Bonjean, who also represents NXIVM sex cult leader Keith Raniere. “It becomes a formula for the government. You have the right to defend yourself against certain allegations. “
Kelly, 54, was convicted on September 27 of blackmail, sex trafficking and the sexual exploitation of a child. If convicted on May 4th, he faces between 10 years and life imprisonment.
Kelly is also facing charges of child pornography and disability in Chicago. The jury trial is scheduled to begin on August 1, 2022 and is expected to last three to four weeks