R. Kelly removed from suicide watch

U.S. federal prosecutors said in court filing that R&B singer R. Kelly, has been removed from suicide watch at the Brooklyn jail where he is being held....CONTINUE READING>>>

Kelly’s lawyer Jennifer Bonjean confirmed the multiplatinum singer is no longer on suicide watch, but said Kelly plans to press ahead with his lawsuit over being placed there.

Kelly, 55, was sentenced last week to 30 years in prison following his sex trafficking conviction.

He has sued the Metropolitan Detention Center, saying jail officials there ordered he placed under suicide watch immediately after his June 29 sentencing “solely for punitive purposes” and because he was a “high-profile” inmate.

In a court filing in Tuesday, prosecutors said Kelly was removed from suicide watch following a clinical assessment. He had also been clinically assessed before being put on watch. read more

Bonjean suggested in an email that the removal was a tactic to thwart his lawsuit, which seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. The court docket suggests that Kelly is seeking $100 million.

“Not surprising that as soon as the BOP was going to have to account for their decisions, they removed him,” Bonjean said, referring to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, which runs the Brooklyn jail.

“Our lawsuit will proceed nonetheless,” she said.

Known for the 1996 Grammy-winning hit “I Believe I Can Fly,” Kelly was convicted last September of racketeering and violating a law that bars transporting people across state lines for prostitution. read more

Prosecutors said Kelly, whose given name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, exploited his stardom and wealth over two decades to lure women and girls into his orbit for sex, with the help of his entourage.

Kelly has repeatedly denied accusations of sexual abuse.

He still faces an August trial in Chicago federal court on child pornography and obstruction charges, and various state charges in Illinois and Minnesota