(CNN) R. Kelly's attorneys will ask for his release from federal custody before an appeals court on Friday, arguing that the singer has been unable to prepare for his upcoming trial for nearly six months. His trial was scheduled to begin at the end of September in federal court in Brooklyn, but was delayed in part due to the pandemic. His legal team says that because the singer can't read or write, he can't review legal documents in his case, make notes or "meaningfully" communicate with lawyers without in-person meetings. This will be the sixth time Kelly's legal team has argued for his release since he was taken into federal custody in July 2019. Four of the requests -- including Friday's appeal -- were made amid the pandemic, which attorneys argue has put Kelly at risk for developing severe complications from the virus.

Source: CNN September 04, 2020 07:30 UTC