R. Kelly's motion to get out of jail because of the coronavirus denied by judge

R. Kelly can't get out of jail because of the coronavirus pandemic, a judge has decided. Kelly, the disgraced R&B star who faces charges related to his alleged sexual abuse of

minors, is awaiting trial, and his attorneys requested he be released from the Chicago Metropolitan Correctional Center due to fears surrounding the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. But U.S.

District Judge Ann Donnelly on Tuesday denied his bid, saying he is in custody "because of the risks that he will flee or attempt to obstruct, threaten or intimidate prospective

witnesses" and he "has not explained how those risks have changed," _Variety_ reports. SUBSCRIBE TO THE WEEK Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus

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Week delivered directly to your inbox. From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox. The judge said that while

she is "sympathetic" to Kelly's "anxiety" over the coronavirus, he has "not established compelling reasons" to be released, noting there are no confirmed

cases of COVID-19 at the facility where he's being held. She also denied the argument that the prison's restrictions on visits are preventing him from preparing for his trial,

saying it "appears unlikely" to proceed as scheduled in July and he can continue speaking with his lawyers via phone and email. Previously, a judge denied a bid from President

Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen to leave prison because of coronavirus concerns, saying he must "accept the consequences of his criminal convictions." But rapper Tekashi

6ix9ine, who has asthma, recently secured an early release because of the pandemic, with a judge deciding he would serve out of the rest of his sentence on charges including racketeering at

home "in light of the heightened medical risk." Bill Cosby has also cited the coronavirus pandemic in asking to be let out of prison. Explore More Zurich Speed Reads