|
Attorney Deveraux Cannick, who joined Kelly’s
legal team just a few months before the long-awaited trial,
argued in court that his accusers were former fans who became
disgruntled after falling out of his favor, and that his sexual
relationships were consensual. He made headlines for comparing
Kelly to the slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.
A federal jury in Brooklyn on Monday convicted Kelly of sex
trafficking, after prosecutors spent nearly six weeks making the
case that the singer used his fame to exploit women and have sex
with underage girls.
Outside the courthouse Monday, Cannick told reporters that the
defense team was "disappointed" by the outcome and would explore
options for an appeal. He did not immediately respond to a
request for comment Monday.
In June, Kelly fired two of his lawyers amid internal tension on
his legal team. During a hearing, former Kelly defense attorney
Steve Greenberg said he clashed with two other members of the
defense team, who "can't deal with stress."
Cannick made his first appearance in the Kelly case on June 22,
according to court filings.
He is part of five-attorney firm Aiello & Cannick, based in
Queens. According to the firm’s website, his clients have
included Saikou Diallo, the father of Amadou Diallo, who was
shot 41 times by New York City police officers in 1999. He
helped secure the state’s largest wrongful death settlement at
the time.
Cannick, who early in his career worked in the Bronx County
District Attorney’s office, specializes in criminal defense and
civil rights cases. In 2019, he defended a man accused of
kidnapping Chicago rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine, who Cannick claimed
staged his own abduction in order to generate publicity.
Cannick’s client was found guilty and sentenced to 24 years in
prison.
(Reporting by Karen Sloan; Editing by David Bario, Noeleen
Walder and Aurora Ellis)
[© 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2021 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content
|
|
