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R. Kelly avoids having bond revoked
12/21/2007 4:59 PM, AP
Michael Tarm
R. Kelly avoided having his bond revoked in his child pornography case, but was admonished by a judge Friday for missing a court date earlier in the week.
Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan set a May 9 trial date for the 40-year-old R&B superstar, whose case has been delayed numerous times since he was charged in 2002.
Kelly missed a court appearance Wednesday after his tour bus was delayed in Utah because its logbooks didn't document enough rest time for the driver. The bus had been stopped for speeding.
The singer, whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, apologized to the court.
"I'm sorry for this whole incident," he told the judge.
Kelly has pleaded not guilty to child pornography charges for allegedly videotaping sex acts with a young teenage girl in or before 2000.
At Friday's hearing, his attorney, Ed Genson, argued that Kelly's bond shouldn't be revoked because he hadn't missed other court dates and had complied with other court rules regarding travel.
"There was no intentional violation," Genson said.
Gaughan ordered Kelly to fly back to Chicago if his timely arrival for a future court date came into question. Kelly agreed.
The judge also ordered him to cancel a Jan. 13 concert in Hampton, Va., to ensure he is in Chicago for court on Jan. 14.
Gaughan also admonished Kelly for his speeding tour bus, saying it could have caused an accident and injured innocent people. The judge said Kelly couldn't ride in any speeding vehicle.
In not revoking Kelly's bond, the judge said he didn't want to stop him from touring, which would affect people who work on the show and those who bought tickets to his concerts.
"You are a role model, whether you like it or not," Gaughan said.
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On the Net:
R. Kelly:
http://www.r-kelly.com
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