Crime
R. Kelly failed to come up with bond money
ROLLING OUT — In a circumstance that probably made some of his victims and adversaries smile, singer R. Kelly failed to raise the requisite bond money to secure his release Saturday evening.
In a circumstance that probably made some of his victims and adversaries smile, singer R. Kelly failed to raise the requisite bond money to secure his release Saturday evening.
Therefore, Kelly had to stay overnight in the Cook County Jail.
According to reports, the 12 Play lyricist failed to produce the court-ordered $100K on a $1M bond by 9 p.m. last night, so he was kept in the holding cell he was placed in after his bond hearing.
TMZ states that R. Kelly was kept in a holding tank alone because the administrators don’t want him in general population with inmates for obvious reasons. R. Kelly is identified as a “high profile individual” and subsequently precautions were taken to segregate him.
Cook County District Attorney Kim Foxx tried to argue against any bail at all based upon the seriousness of the crimes, but the judge instead set bail at $250K for each indictment. In total, Kelly faces 10 charges, but some of the four indictments had more than one charge per case.
During a press conference after the bail hearing, Foxx gave up more details of the case, saying that two of the four women gave her office physical evidence that included shirts with R. Kelly’s alleged semen on them.
If convicted, Kelly faces up to seven years in prison for each charge or 70 years.
Kelly’s attorneys blamed the delay in retrieving the necessary money on the fact that the singer’s finances are complicated and a “mess” and that the bail hearing was set on a Saturday. TMZ reported that Kelly will only be released on bond if he produces the minimum amount demanded by the court.
Meanwhile, two of Kelly’s “housemates,” Joycelyn Savage and Azriel Clary, both appeared in the courtroom for R. Kelly on Saturday and were seated in the first row reserved for friends and family during his hearing. Even though they have been described as “sex slaves,” both have previously said they live with R. Kelly on their own volition. They were seen walking into the courtroom holding hands.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
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Alameda County
DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland
Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.
Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.
California Black Media
Anti-Theft Bill with Jail-Time Requirement Gets Wide Ranging Support
Fed up with the alarming frequency of retail theft across California, including smash and grabs, a diverse group of business leaders, law enforcement officials, policymakers and public safety advocates joined their efforts in Sacramento on Jan. 24. Their purpose: to increase public support for Assembly Bill (AB) 1772, a bill that would make jail time mandatory for repeat theft offenders.
By California Black Media
Fed up with the alarming frequency of retail theft across California, including smash and grabs, a diverse group of business leaders, law enforcement officials, policymakers and public safety advocates joined their efforts in Sacramento on Jan. 24.
Their purpose: to increase public support for Assembly Bill (AB) 1772, a bill that would make jail time mandatory for repeat theft offenders.
Co-authored by Assemblymembers James C. Ramos (D-San Bernardino), Avelino Valencia (D-Anaheim) and Devon Mathis (R-Tulare), AB 1772 would require jail time “of one to three years for theft crimes depending upon the circumstances.
“Offenses would include grand theft, theft from an elder or dependent adult, theft or unauthorized use of a vehicle, burglary, carjacking, robbery, receiving stolen property, shoplifting or mail theft,” the bill language reads.
Ramos said the need to act is urgent.
“It’s time for us to reverse the spikes in theft crimes since the pandemic. Our law enforcement members and district attorneys need additional tools such as AB 1772. We must reverse the trend before the problem grows worse. Last year I requested a state audit of the impact of Prop 47 on Riverside and San Bernardino counties,” said Ramos.
Prop 47 is the California initiative, approved by voters in 2014, that reclassified some felonies to misdemeanors and raised the minimum amount for most misdemeanor thefts from $400 to $950.
According to a Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) report, the rate of occurrence of petty crimes like shoplifting and commercial burglaries have increased by double digits over the last four years.
In Orange County alone, commercial burglaries have spiked by 54%.
“Our communities are experiencing an increase in retail crime and deserve appropriate action from their legislators,” Valencia said.
San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus thanked Ramos.
“This bill, designed to impose stricter penalties on serial retail theft suspects, responds urgently to the escalating consequences of shoplifting and related crimes on our communities,” he said.
AB 1772 supporters who spoke at the gathering included Sacramento Sheriff Jim Cooper and San Bernardino Chief of Police Darren Goodman. Listed as supporters are the California State Sheriff’s Association, City of Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez and Redlands Chamber of Commerce.
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