R. Kelly trial date set on federal sex crimes charges filed in Chicago

ByLeah Hope WLS logo

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

R. Kelly trial date set on federal sex crimes charges filed in Chicago

The federal sex crime case against embattled R&B singer R. Kelly will go to trial next April in Chicago, a judge ruled in court Wednesday.

CHICAGO -- The federal sex crime case against embattled R&B singer R. Kelly will go to trial next April in Chicago, a judge ruled in court Wednesday.

The trial related to federal charges against Kelly filed in Chicago is expected to begin on April 27 and last for three weeks.

Kelly's legal team said they are currently reviewing thousands of documents for the cases, including dozens of pictures, videos and testimony. They said the evidence that they have reviewed so far, has major factual flaws.

"There's two things, there is discovery and then of the discovery, what is good evidence for the government," said Kelly's attorney Mike Leonard. "I think Steve and I and Chris have been remarkably, I guess, surprised that discovery to date supports our position that factually and legally there is deep flaws in the case here and there is deep flaws in the case in New York."

Kelly's ex-business manager Derrel McDavid was also in court Wednesday. McDavid was charged with conspiracy to receive child pornography after he tried to intercept evidence, prosecutors said.

Kelly will be back in court on September 18. Kelly's lawyers said at that hearing, they will ask the judge to reconsider the no bond order.

The hearing came hours after R. Kelly was moved into the general inmate population. On Tuesday, officials transferred the singer from the Metropolitan Correctional Center's Special Housing Unit to the downtown jail's general population.

Initially, authorities were worried that other inmates would try to hurt the Grammy Award-winner, but Kelly's attorney asked that the singer be removed from what he called "solitary confinement" because of the lack of human interaction.

Kelly faces sexual misconduct charges in Illinois, Minnesota and New York, a combined 18 counts in federal indictments in Chicago and Brooklyn and could go to prison for as many as 195 years for the Chicago case alone. Out east, he potentially faces decades more behind bars.

Kelly is also facing sexual abuse charges brought by Illinois prosecutors from earlier this year. He was taken into custody in February, accused of sexually abusing three girls and a woman in Illinois.

In May, Cook County prosecutors added 11 more sex-related counts. Kelly has maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Previous coverage:

R. Kelly facing new underage prostitution charges in Minnesota, prosecutors say

R. Kelly crisis manager stepping down

R. Kelly held without bond following Tuesday's arraignment on federal sex crime charges

HHearing in R. Kelly case to be held Tuesday after singer charged with federal sex crimes

R. Kelly appears in court on federal sex crime charges

R. Kelly arrested by NYPD in Chicago on federal sex crime charges including child pornography, obstruction of justice

R. Kelly accused of paying off alleged victim in 2008 trial

R. Kelly pleads not guilty to new sexual assault charges

RELATED: Chicago reporter makes his case against R. Kelly in new book

RELATED: R. Kelly pleads not guilty to new sexual assault charges