R. Kelly's New Lawyer Makes Unbelievable Demands Ahead of Scheduled Trial
R. Kelly's new lawyer offered a massive request to the court ahead of the singer's scheduled trial.
Deveraux Cannick, a former Bronx County district attorney and R. Kelly's new lawyer, asked a judge to postpone the upcoming sex trafficking trial.
In his formal letter submitted to U.S District Judge Ann Donnelly, Cannick contended that he has not had enough time to prepare since his client is still under a mandatory jail quarantine.
R. Kelly needs to undergo a 14-day quarantine at the Metropolitan Detention Center since his transfer from Chicago. The count will end on Tuesday.
Because of this, he still has not met the singer's other new lawyers before alleging that pushing the August 9 trial would prevent him from providing effective representation.
"Robert is anxious to have his day in court; however not at the expense of his Sixth Amendment rights," he said, as quoted by USA Today.
Cannick further explained that once R. Kelly's quarantine is over, they would surely struggle to secure one of the few conference rooms in the New York City jail. He clarified that, if there is no available room, they would meet the client at a table where lawyers and inmates could be present, too.
As of the writing, Donnelly nor the federal prosecutors have already addressed the request.
Why R. Kelly Hired Cannick?
Cannick's letter came after two of the singer's Chicago-based attorneys, Steve Greenberg and Michael Leonard, decided to leave the legal team. They filed the request to withdraw two months before the scheduled trial.
Months ago, news outlets said that the former lawyers clashed with the remaining original legal team members.
"We refused to try a case with lawyers who don't have the appropriate level of experience and skill because that is not in the client's best interest," the two legal representatives said, as quoted by Chicago Tribune. "It is a shame that lawyers can't suppress their egos or self-interest and do or act in the client's best interest."
Only a few weeks after the filing, Cannick officially signed on to the case on June 21. The legal representative already held several high-profile cases, including the kidnapping of Tekashi 6ix9ine in 2019.
However, he lost at that time. His client was convicted and received 24 years of prison sentence.
