Latest news with #NicoleBlankBecker


Sky News
8 hours ago
- Sky News
R Kelly rushed to hospital after prison 'overdose' plot, his lawyers say
R Kelly was hospitalised after prison officials gave him an overdose of medication, his lawyers have claimed – as part of what they say is an ongoing assassination plot. Kelly, whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, is currently serving time at the Federal Correctional Institute in Butner, North Carolina, after being convicted of sex trafficking and racketeering in 2021. A year later, he was found guilty on three charges of producing child sexual abuse images and three charges of enticement of minors for sex. The 58-year-old was taken to hospital on Friday after prison staff "administered an overdose of his medication", according to a court document filed by his lawyer. The document, filed on Tuesday, reads: "Mr. Kelly's life is in danger, and that danger is coming from Bureau of Prisons officials and their actions. "Mr. Kelly needs this Court's intervention. His life actually depends on it." Nicole Blank Becker, one of Kelly's lawyers, said he is in solitary confinement and that she spoke with him on Monday. "What is happening right now with him is insane," she said. "I hope that this really results in someone, somewhere, somehow getting ahold of him today and getting him back in the hospital." A spokesperson for the Bureau of Prisons said in a statement that "for privacy, safety, and security reasons, we do not discuss the conditions of confinement for any incarcerated individual, including medical and health-related issues". "Additionally, the Bureau of Prisons does not comment on pending litigation or matters that are the subject of legal proceedings," they added. The allegation is the latest in a line of similar claims from the singer's legal team, who last week filed a motion accusing the Bureau of Prisons of instructing another inmate to kill Kelly. A motion filed by Kelly's legal team claimed Mikeal Glenn Stine, who is alleged to be a member of the Aryan Brotherhood gang and has a terminal cancer diagnosis, was given a chance to "to live out the last of those months as a free man" in exchange for killing the singer. The next day, his legal team filed additional material saying he had been moved to solitary confinement and denied access to his lawyer. Prosecutors rejected the claims as "repugnant". Their written response said: "Kelly has never taken responsibility for his years of sexually abusing children, and he probably never will. "Undeterred, Kelly now asks this Court to release him from incarceration indefinitely under the guise of a fanciful conspiracy."
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Yahoo
Lawyers on Diddy trial will choose jury with fine-tooth comb
(NewsNation) — Lawyers working on both sides of the Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial will use a fine-tooth comb to choose jurors when it comes down to the final 12 on Monday. Jury consultant Claudia Colon told NewsNation that defense attorneys are going through each potential juror's professional and personal backgrounds with intense detail before deciding who they'll try to push for. They want to 'see what kind of characteristics people will have that are beneficial or that are harmful,' she said. 'In terms of how to learn about these jurors, they are going on social media, they're looking through as far back as they need to, and they're digging very deep to see how they're posting about things that are related to the case and related to the topics.' Is Diddy's gray court look a sign of stress or strategy? Nicole Blank Becker, who defended R. Kelly, said prosecutors will try to choose people who don't appear as emotional and don't have a personal experience with sexual abuse. 'One of the biggest questions has always got to be, 'Have you or a family member or someone you know, been a victim of sexual abuse?' Because that is very important for the defense to know, especially in trying to come up with this fair and impartial journey,' she said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.