Supreme Court Rejects R. Kelly’s RICO Appeal

R. Kelly’s final legal lifeline has been cut. The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear the disgraced singer’s appeal to overturn his sex trafficking and racketeering convictions. That means his 30-year prison sentence will stand. Kelly's attorneys argued that prosecutors stretched the definition of “enterprise” under the RICO Act. They claimed a criminal enterprise requires members to share a common purpose for committing illegal acts. Kelly’s team insisted that didn’t apply to his case. Despite those arguments, the high court refused to take it up. And as is typical, the justices gave no reason for their decision. The ruling marks another major defeat for the once-celebrated Grammy-winning artist. Kelly was convicted in 2021 for leading a decades-long scheme to sexually exploit young women and minors. The Supreme Court’s move all but closes the book on his federal appeals. He remains incarcerated, serving out his lengthy sentence.