“I pleaded with Kim Foxx and her team to see the cases through,” said Lanita Carter. “Justice has been denied for me.”
During a hearing at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse on Tuesday, four sexual abuse cases against R&B singer Robert Kelly were dropped.
One of the alleged victims expressed disappointment, with Lanita Carter stating in a statement, “Justice has been denied for me.” Carter had pleaded with the state’s attorney, Kim Foxx, and her team to see the cases through.
However, the state’s attorney decided to dismiss the charges four years after they were filed against Kelly.
Kelly has already been found guilty in separate federal trials in New York and Chicago, leaving him facing a high probability of spending the rest of his life in prison.
Kelly did not attend the Tuesday morning hearing, but is expected to be present later this month in Chicago for his sentencing in a federal case.
He faces 10 to 90 years in prison and is already serving a 30-year sentence for his 2021 conviction in New York.
The state charges were filed after Foxx publicly requested that women who had been assaulted by Kelly come forward, following the airing of the documentary series “Surviving R. Kelly.” On Monday, Foxx said she was dropping the case against the singer because of the likelihood of his lengthy prison sentence and the fact that several of his alleged victims had already testified against him in federal court.
However, Foxx acknowledged receiving input from an alleged victim who did not agree with the decision.
In a statement, Foxx wrote, “I understand how hard it was for these victims to come forward and tell their stories. I applaud their courage and have the utmost respect for everyone who came forward.
While this may not be the result they were expecting, due to the sentences that Mr. Kelly is facing, we do feel that justice has been served.”
Lanita Carter, who was identified in charging documents as “L.C,” was one of the alleged victims. She claimed that she was assaulted by Kelly in 2003 while he was on bond for child pornography charges.
In a statement, Carter said, “I chose to place my trust in [Foxx] and her office, and I’ve spent nearly four years preparing myself – mentally and emotionally – to face my attacker and tell my story. Justice has been denied for me a second time, making today’s decision that much more difficult to comprehend and accept.”
Jennifer Bonjean, Kelly’s attorney, called for the charges against Kelly to be dropped and expressed her satisfaction with the outcome at the hearing.
She will now focus on fighting Kelly’s conviction in New York. Former federal prosecutor Steven Block commented that it is not uncommon to drop a pending case when a defendant has already been convicted on other charges and received a long prison sentence.
He said, “It comes down to a decision on how to use resources. The fact is, we know this is a defendant that is going to serve a long sentence. Another prosecution is not going to serve justice more than it already has been served.”
Bonjean claimed Kelly is struggling in lockup at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago and is targeted for abuse by other inmates and correctional staff. She accused administrators and staff at the jail of releasing music by Kelly without his permission and his private information, including “possibly” privileged communications with his defense attorneys.
