CHICAGO (CelebrityAccess) – R. Kelly’s lawyers have asked a Chicago judge to dismiss a 2019 lawsuit alleging the singer sexually abused a minor 20 years ago, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Kelly’s attorneys filed the motion to dismiss Wednesday in Cook County Circuit Court, arguing that the statute of limitations to file the complaint had long since expired.
The lawsuit, which was filed just before Kelly was charged in February with criminal sexual abuse, alleges that the abuse in question occurred in 1998. While Kelly’s lawyers are arguing that the woman had only until 2002 to file any claim for damages, state law says a person has up to 20 years from the time the abuse is discovered to file civil litigation.
The plaintiff is one of four accusers in a separate criminal case. Her lawyer Jeffrey Deutschman says Kelly has the right to file the motion but that it will drag out the proceedings.
Kelly has pleaded not guilty to all counts of sexual abuse being made against him.
