R. Kelly trial delayed again

Chicago R&B singer R. Kelly's trial on child pornography charges was delayed yet again today. Court officials could not say when it might be rescheduled.

Kelly, 40, was arrested in 2002 and faces 14 counts of child pornography involving a videotape of a sexual encounter with a teenage girl. Prosecutors have said the victim could be as young as 13. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.

After repeated delays in the case, jury selection was to have begun on Sept. 17.

Kelly, who has pleaded not guilty to the charge, appeared in Judge Vincent Michael Gaughan's courtroom today in what was expected to be a hearing in preparation for the pending trial. Instead, Gaughan announced the trial would be delayed for reasons that were "personal."

A statement from the court later in the morning said, "Under doctor's orders the lead prosecutor, who has recently given birth, is not able to proceed at this time. "

The case has undergone repeated delays - some of them for bizarre reasons. The singer waived his right to a speedy trial, a move that allowed his high-priced defense team to file more than 30 pretrial motions.

Gaughan and Kelly's attorney, Ed Genson, also were involved in two of this year's biggest trials. Genson represented newspaper magnate Conrad Black in his fraud trial this summer, while Gaughan presided over the Brown's Chicken murder case in the spring.

Other delays were for more unexpected reasons, including Kelly's emergency surgery last February for a burst appendix. The trial was also postponed last summer when Gaughan fell off a ladder and broke his back.

The looming legal battle, however, has not slowed the Grammy winning singer's career. He has released five albums and a greatest hits collection in the past five years. With the court’s permission, he also has completed three concert tours, including a controversial one with rapper Jay-Z.