R. Kelly's firing back at prosecutors who say he shouldn't get released early due to coronavirus risks -- arguing prison is a petri dish, and insisting he can't properly prep for trial from jail.
The singer's legal team filed a reply to the feds' response to Kelly's original motion last week, in which they asked a judge to let R. Kelly out of jail on bond ... mainly because he feared coming down with COVID-19.
Uncle Sam's responded ... R. Kelly isn't old enough (65 or older) to be considered high-risk. They also said a recent surgery he had doesn't make him more susceptible to the virus. On top of all that, the feds say R. Kelly's been provided with plenty of soap and cleaning supplies.
Kelly claims that's not the case, especially for other inmates to whom he might be exposed. The feds say MCC Chicago is up to snuff with CDC guidelines and adds that no one at the jail has tested positive.
R. Kelly's attorney, Steven Greenberg, isn't buying prosecutors' logic. In the new docs he says prison is basically a breeding ground for bacteria, and it's only a matter of time before someone gets the virus and spreads it like wildfire.
He also says his client is being deprived of his right to prep for trial because he can't meet face-to-face with his lawyers. MCC Chicago's banned all visitors due to the pandemic. Greenberg says inmates there are fighting for phone time, and they're having a hard time getting ahold of him.
Kelly and his attorney are doubling down ... insisting he should be granted release on bond, but the judge has yet to rule.