R. Kelly was apparently a no-show for a court date at the Cook County criminal courthouse on Thursday.
As reported by the Chicago Sun Times, Kelly skipped the first hearing on his pending sex abuse cases since he was taken into federal custody in July. The R&B singer has made plenty of appearances in court before — since he first posted bond in February on charges related to alleged sexual abuse in Cook County Kelly has made near-monthly court appearances. But according to a statement made by Assistant State’s Attorney Jennifer Gonzalez in court, Kelly “refused transport” to Thursday’s hearing.
Kelly’s lawyer, Steve Greenberg, expressed that transporting Kelly from federal lockup is easier said than done. “I don’t want to discuss matters that I have discussed with the U.S. Marshal Service in open court,” Greenberg said. “Suffice it to say that the marshal service said that moving Mr. Kelly is a large undertaking.”
Prosecutors in Chicago, Brooklyn, and Hennepin County, Minnesota have announced sex abuse charges, including several involving minors, against the singer. He couldn’t make it this time, but Judge Lawrence Flood ordered that Kelly will have to appear in court for the hearing on increasing his bond.
But Kelly’s lawyer maintains that he did not choose to skip court. “R. Kelly did not refuse to come to court today,” Greenberg said.
