CHICAGO — A federal judge on Wednesday ordered R&B superstar R. Kelly to stand trial in Chicago on child pornography and obstruction of justice charges next year after the scheduled sentencing for his conviction in an earlier sex trafficking trial in New York.
U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber appeared to have wanted the trial in Chicago to begin earlier, but he set it for Aug. 1 after one of Kelly's attorneys, Steven Greenberg, said that he another of Kelly's attorneys will be in trial on other cases through July.
Attorneys told the judge during the brief hearing that they estimated the trial of Kelly and co-defendants Derrell McDavid and Milton "June" Brown would last three to four weeks.
Kelly, who remains jailed in New York, was listening to the hearing on a conference call but he did not speak. His sentencing there is scheduled for May 4 and he faces up to life in prison.
WATCH: What does R. Kelly's alleged culture of abuse suggest about how society views black women?
Kelly, who was born Robert Sylvester Kelly, is also facing four separate indictments alleging sexual abuse in state court in Chicago and a child prostitution charge in Minnesota.
Experts have said there is a possibility that prosecutors could drop the charges in state court if he receives a lengthy prison sentence in New York. But there is virtually no chance that the federal charges in Chicago will be dropped.
Kelly, who has been jailed without bail since 2019, was convicted last month by a federal jury in New York on racketeering conspiracy charges and other counts. Greenberg said on Wednesday that after the trial, Kelly was placed on suicide watch but that has ended.
Sustain our coverage of culture, arts and literature.
Virgil Abloh was a boundary-breaking designer who made streetwear luxurious and luxury feel accessible. Abloh was the first Black artistic…
Michael Madsen, whose menacing characters in “Reservoir Dogs” and “Kill Bill” made him a standout in Quentin Tarantino’s films, has…
Sean “Diddy" Combs was acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges, but found guilty of prostitution offenses. The mixed verdict…
Colum McCann's Narrative 4 organization is bringing the power of story to students in a time of division. The project…
Growing up in South Africa, internationally celebrated opera singer Pretty Yende hadn’t even heard of opera until she was almost…
U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria found that 13 authors who sued Meta “made the wrong arguments.” But the judge also…
The untitled film will be the first since Amazon MGM Studios took creative reins of the storied film franchise after…
Arthur Sze, one of the most acclaimed poets of our time, is celebrated for exploring the natural world, the human…
Researchers believe it was a gunboat built in 1775 to defend Philadelphia. They don't know all the places the boat…
BTS is expected to reunite later this year. The K-pop group routinely breaks records and are credited for bringing the…
Unless you’re a longtime jazz aficionado, you might only know the names and music of a handful of stars and…
Comedian and illustrator Mo Welch has built a career blending sharp humor with emotional honesty. Her recent special, "Dad Jokes,"…
A new biography, "Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson," tells the story of the Black transgender pioneer’s…
A week ago, 11 of the 12 members of the board overseeing the prestigious Fulbright Program, which promotes international educational…
Cruise, choreographer Debbie Allen and “Do The Right Thing” production designer Wynn Thomas have all been selected to receive honorary…
