“I pleaded with Kim Foxx and her team to see the cases through,” said Lanita Carter. “Justice has been denied for me.”
Four cases of sexual assault against R&B star Robert Kelly were dropped during an hour-long hearing in Leighton Criminal Courthouse. Leighton Criminal Courthouse Tuesday, when one of the accused victims expressed her disappointment and said “justice has been denied for me.”
“I pleaded with Kim Foxx and her team to see the cases through,” Lanita Carter stated in an interview.
In the end, the state’s attorney chose to drop the charges just four years after the charges were brought against Kelly. Since then, Kelly has been found guilty in federal court trial that took place in New York and Chicago -which means he is now facing the chance of having to spend the remainder of his life in prison.
Kelly was not present at the court hearing on Tuesday morning however, he is expected to be in the federal courtroom later in the month in Chicago in the event of his sentence following his conviction in the fall for sexually assaulting three girls and the production videos of children.
Kelly could face between 10 and 90 years behind bars for that case. He’s already serving a sentence of 30 years for his conviction in 2021 for racketeering, among other things, within New York.
The state-level charges were brought following Foxx openly pleaded with women who were assaulted by R. Kelly to come forward following the broadcast of the new documentary series “Surviving R. Kelly.”
The following day, Foxx announced that she would be not pursuing the state’s case against Kelly due to the possibility of him being sentenced to prison for a long time as well as the fact that many of his suspected victims have already presented evidence against Kelly at federal trial.
However, Foxx acknowledged her office has heard from at most one victim who was not happy with her decision.
“I understand how hard it was for these victims to come forward and tell their stories,” Foxx said in a statement issued on Tuesday. “I salute the courage of these victims and hold absolute respect for all those who spoke up. Although this may not be the outcome they had hoped for because of the sentence which Mr. Kelly is facing, we feel that justice has been done.”
One of the alleged victims was Carter who was identified in the charging documents with”L.C. “L.C.” She said she was attacked at the hands of Kelly in 2003 when Kelly was being held on bond for child pornography-related chargesafter she went to his home to braid his hair.
Carter immediately reported to the officers and cooperated with the investigators but there were no charges made. Carter was arrested again in the year 2019 following watching the “Surviving R. Kelly” documentary rekindled interest in the investigation.
“I chose to place my trust in her and her office, and I’ve spent nearly four years preparing myself — mentally and emotionally — to face my abuser and tell my story,” Carter made an announcement. “Justice has been denied for me a second time, making today’s decision that much more difficult to comprehend and accept.”
The case could serve as another chance in the case of Cook County prosecutors to convict Kelly who was cleared of all charges at his trial in 2008 on child pornography in the state of Illinois.
Kelly’s lawyer Jennifer Bonjean, who had demanded that the charges be dismissed, said she felt “pleased” with the decision following the hearing on Tuesday. She is now focusing in pursuing a challenge to the conviction of Kelly on the streets of New York.
“That is really our next battle,” Bonjean spoke to reporters, and was joined by a number of Kelly supporters who were at the hearing.
The former federal prosecutor Steven Block, who served as the director of the department of state’s attorneys’ Special Prosecutions Bureau until 2018 He said it’s not unusual to end an pending case if a suspect has already been convicted for other offenses and handed lengthy prison sentences.
“It comes down to a decision on how to use resources,” Block explained. “The truth is, we are aware that this is a person who will serve an extended sentence. Another trial is not likely to do justice better than the justice already executed.”
Bonjean told the media that Kelly is in a difficult situation in The Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago She said Kelly is the target of assault by fellow inmates as well as correctional staff.
She accused staff and administrators in the jail of releasing songs composed by Kelly without his consent, as well as his personal details, which included “possibly” his privileged communications with his defense lawyers.
