R. Kelly's Lawyer Compared The Disgraced Singer To MLK Jr. During Closing Arguments For Sex-Trafficking Trial
R. Kelly’s attorney compared the disgraced singer to Martin Luther King Jr. during closing arguments in his sex trafficking trial.
According to TMZ, the disgraced singer’s attorney Deveraux Cannick made the parallel between her client and the famous civil rights activist on Thursday.
Cannick told the federal court jury in Brooklyn that R. Kelly is demanding prosecutors prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, apparently the same way MLK fought for constitutional and civil rights. The singer’s attorney then reportedly went on to quote part of MLK’s famous “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech from 1968 – the last speech MLK ever gave before he was assassinated the next day.
"Somewhere I read of the freedom of speech. Somewhere I read of the freedom of assembly. Somewhere I read of the freedom of the press,” Cannick quoted in the court room Thursday.
This comparison between the disgraced singer and MLK is only the latest bizarre incident to occur during R. Kelly’s federal trial since beginning on August 18.
- R. Kelly Name Dropped Whitney Houston & Michael Jackson In Letter To Judge Before He Was Sentenced To 30 Years In Prison
- R. Kelly Fights Chicago Prosecutors Over Jury Hearing About Alleged Victim’s Sexual History
- R. Kelly's Lawyer Says Singer's Alleged Victims Were Fans Who Sought Him Out During Bombshell Opening Statements
RadarOnline.com reported previously on all the accusations against the troubled singer. His own ex-assistant testified in court about how Kelly used rules to control everything his young girlfriends did.
“The things you had to do was just a bit uncomfortable, it was almost like The Twilight Zone, you went into the gate, and it was like a different world, just a strange place,” Navarro said on the third day of R. Kelly’s sex crimes and racketeering trial on August 20. “If they’re not where they’re supposed to be, you’d have to tell Rob or a manager. They weren’t supposed to be wandering around, they weren’t supposed to leave the room.”
Kelly was also accused of allegedly forcing his victims to eat feces while being video recorded as punishment for breaking his rules, allegedly forcing his girlfriends to fight each other after finding them twerking for cake, and allegedly keeping one victim in a locked room without windows for days before ultimately raping her.
Thursday was the last day for closing arguments, and the court’s jury will soon start their deliberations. If convicted, Kelly faces ten years to life in prison.