R. Kelly appeals to Trump to commute 31-year prison sentence

R. Kelly has formally appealed to US President Donald Trump to commute his 31-year federal prison sentence, filing a request for executive clemency with the Department of Justice. The application is pending, according to court records made public this week. Kelly was convicted in 2021 for racketeering and in 2022 for child sexual abuse images, receiving a combined 31-year term. His lawyer Beau Brindley has been lobbying for commutation for over a year, claiming that Kelly's life is in danger in prison.