R. Kelly‘s first appeal to the court was denied after the disgraced singer attempted to be freed from prison for fear of contracting COVID-19 behind bars. His legal team has filed a secondary motion and, while a decision has not yet been reached, his defense may be bolstered after an inmate on the same floor as Kelly tested positive for the coronavirus.

One of the primary reasons why R. Kelly was denied an early release on bond is because there were no reported cases in the MCC Chicago, where the singer is currently locked up. However, his lawyers are now reporting that an inmate on the same floor as Kelly was taken to the hospital after testing positive for COVID-19 and they will likely use that as leverage in their attempt to get the singer out of jail.

According to the report, the inmate’s condition was unclear on Tuesday (April 21) but Kelly’s legal team hopes that his diagnosis will help their case.

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“MCC is in the midst of a serious outbreak,” said Steven Greenberg, Kelly’s lawyer.

The judge has not yet made a decision but, in the past, they have been adamant about keeping the singer behind bars as he is supposedly a flight risk. This week, Kelly’s lawyers argued that his massive tax lien translates to the fact that he will be going nowhere as most of his income will be seized by the feds anyway.

We will continue to keep you updated.

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