R. Kelly's Attorneys File To Withdraw From Federal Sex Trafficking Case

Two attorneys representing R. Kelly want to be removed from the case.

BYAron A.Jan 18, 20223.0K Views

R. Kelly's legal issues are hardly over. A federal jury in Brooklyn found the singer guilty on nine counts including racketeering, sex trafficking, violating the Mann Act. Up next is another federal case surrounding child pornography charges in Kelly's hometown of Chicago, which is expected to begin this August.

Jason Kempin/Getty Images

Ahead of the trial, Kelly might have to find new members for his legal team. According to CBS, attorneys Steve Greenberg and Michael Leonard made requests to be removed from the case. Rumors began floating last week that both Greenberg and Leonard filed a motion to withdraw from the case. Greenberg confirmed the rumors were true on Friday.

This wouldn't be the first time either attorney has attempted to withdraw themselves from representing Kelly. Ahead of the federal New York case last year, Greenberg and Leonard filed a similar motion to the court. Greenberg told reporters that Kelly was "insistent that we work with people who we felt would be rendering ineffective assistance as counsel.”

As Kelly awaits trial for the Chicago case, where he faces charges of producing child pornography and obstruction of justice, he's expected to be sentenced for his federal conviction in New York. Kelly will reportedly face anywhere between 10 years to life in prison.

We'll continue to keep you posted on more updates surrounding R. Kelly's trial.

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Aron A.

Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.