Four Charges Dismissed Against R&B Icon R Kelly

A court hearing presided over by Judge Lawrence Flood has dismissed four abuse charges against R&B singer R Kelly in Chicago. This comes after the office of Cook County's Attorney, Kim Foxx, announced the dropping of four charges accusing R Kelly of abuse and assault on Monday.

This ruling marks a major victory for the singer, who has been facing numerous allegations of abuse and misconduct for years.

According to CBS News Chicago, the office of Attorney Kim Foxx has decided to no longer pursue the indictment against R. Kelly and will instead ask a judge to dismiss the charges. Foxx indicated that her office would prefer to use its limited resources to pursue other cases of assault and abuse, as they believe justice has already been served.

"Due to the extensive sentences that these convictions hold, our office has decided not to continue to expend our limited resources and court time with the indictment that we previously charged Mr Kelly," Foxx said.

"Mr Kelly is potentially looking at the possibility of never walking out of prison again for the crimes he has committed. This office, in pursuit of justice for victims in our indictment as well as across the country, worked tirelessly to get to this point. While today’s case is no longer being pursued, we believe that justice has been served in the sentences that have already been handed down to Mr. Kelly, as well as the sentence that will come down in February," she added.

The charges against R. Kelly were filed in February 2019, and the victims ranged from 13 to 16 years old. The decision by Attorney Kim Foxx has come as a disappointment to some of the victims who were assaulted by the record producer.

Lanita Carter, a victim who came forward with her name in 2019, made an accusation which led to the arrest of Kelly last year. She expressed her disappointment, saying she had hoped to tell the court how she was emotionally and mentally abused as a result of what was done to her in February 2003. She further stated that she had trusted the Cook County’s office, but justice had been denied for her for the second time.

On the contrary, R Kelly's attorney argued that his client has been subjected to unjust treatment. He further asserted that the Grammy-winning artist is struggling against public opinion, making it difficult to receive a fair trial anywhere.

The hitmaker behind the iconic song "I Believe I Can Fly," is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence in New York and awaits sentencing on February 28 in the Chicago Federal Court. Based on the New York sentence alone, the 56-year-old won't be eligible for release until he is 80 years old.

Federal juries in Chicago and New York have found the hip-hop artist guilty of a multitude of offences, including child enticement, racketeering, and human trafficking, in connection with allegations that he victimized women and girls.