R. Kelly’s Lawyer Quotes MLK And Compares Civil Rights Icon To Disgraced Singer
As the circus that so far has been R. Kelly’s second sex abuse trial comes to an end, it wouldn’t be right if his defense didn’t go out with just one more bang.
That honor was given to his defense attorney Deveraux Cannick, who boldly said in court that Kelly’s fight to make a jury actually prove he’s guilty beyond a reasonable doubt is right in line with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s fight for Constitutional rights.
Cannick hammered down on his far-reaching comparison by actually quoting the acclaimed MLK “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech, saying, “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.” His reference was meant to address MLK protesting across America due to the U.S. government’s unfair treatment of all citizens, adding, “That’s all Robert is trying to do.”
MORE: Everything We’re Learning From R. Kelly’s Sex Trafficking Trial
In Deveraux’s efforts to hold the government to account, he also attacked the prosecution’s case by saying they encouraged witnesses to lie on the stand, misled jurors and pushed a false narrative, according to the New York Post. Cannick claims the narrative is false because Kelly, quote, ”didn’t have to recruit women.”
The prosecution led a vigorous case that included testimonies from accusers, both female and male, each with their own traumatizing recollection of the abuse they faced at his hands over the past three decades. If convicted R. Kelly is looking at 10 years to life in prison.
We could think of many wild things that were said or revealed during this trial, but a comparison between MLK and Kellz definitely takes the cake.
Believe it or not, this is not the first time Kelly has been compared to Dr. King.
Years after Kelly was indicted on 21 counts of child pornography but before he was ultimately acquitted of the charges, he, himself, also made the ill-advised comparison to the civil rights icon.
“I’m the Martin Luther King, or all the other greats that have come before us,” Kelly said in 2007 during an interview publicizing his then-upcoming album. “And a lot of people are starting to realize that now.”
After outrage following those comments, Kelly’s publicist stepped in to do damage control.
“He doesn’t think he’s Martin Luther King,” Regina Daniels said at the time. “He’s comparing the fact that he is a prolific songwriter of his time; now it’s turned into something else.”
SEE ALSO:
Decades Of Sexual Misconduct Allegations Against R. Kelly
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