R. Kelly's legal team are objecting to federal prosecutors' plans to introduce evidence that he may have molested a 17-year-old boy and carried on a relationship with another older man.
Among several complaints, the 54-year-old R&B singer's attorneys claim in filings obtained by TMZ that the new evidence shouldn't be shown to jurors, as they may hold anti-LGBTQ biases.
In addition to fears that the Chicago jurors may be more likely to convict Kelly based on the allegations, his lawyers also say there simply isn't enough time to prepare to defend against the allegations, which were introduced just weeks ahead of the scheduled start of his trial.
Prejudicial: Attorneys for R. Kelly, 54, claimed in court filings that prosecutors shouldn't be allowed to introduce evidence that he may have molested a 17-year-old boy, as it could inflame anti-LGBTQ jurors, according to TMZ; Kelly is seen in Chicago in 2019
On Friday, July 23, federal prosecutors filed a motion to introduce evidence that Kelly (given name: Robert Sylvester Kelly) groomed and molested a 17-year-old boy in 2006.
He's alleged to have met the boy at a McDonald's location before inviting him to a party at his home in Chicago.
Although he was accompanied by his parents to the party, the singer allegedly told him to visit again by himself, which he allegedly did, at which point Kelly began a sexual relationship.
He's also accused of grooming another teenage boy that the first boy introduced him to, though their relationship allegedly didn't start until years later.
At the time, Kelly's attorney Nicole Blank Becker told TMZ: 'This is nothing more than a veiled effort to pile on to further shape the public's perception in this case ignoring that Mr. Kelly is presumed innocent until proven otherwise.'
Short notice: Prosecutors want to share evidence that he molested one boy and groomed another, but Kelly's attorneys say their isn't enough time to prepare to fight the allegations; Kelly's mugshot from February 2019
Now Becker and Kelly's other attorney Thomas A. Farinella claim in their filing that the new evidence shouldn't be introduced, as prosecutor's only shared their plans about four weeks before the trial is set to start.
They say that wouldn't give them adequate time to prepare a defense to the allegations.
Kelly's attorneys also wrote that the allegations and evidence could potentially turn some jurors against their client because of the alleged same-sex relationships — and they don't have a way to weed out potential bigots at this late date.
The questionnaire that
