Bus misadventure merits Kelly break

Prosecutors on Wednesday urged the arrest of R&B superstar R. Kelly, who missed a scheduled court appearance on child pornography charges because of what attorneys said was a tour bus mishap.

Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan entered a warrant for Kelly, 40, but held off on actually issuing it -- instead continuing Kelly's case until 9 a.m. today. If the star fails to appear today, the warrant could go into effect.

Lawyers for Kelly, who's in the midst of a 45-city tour, said he had been on his way to Chicago from California when his bus was stopped by Utah state police. A problem with the bus' logs delayed the group for eight hours, lawyers said, because police made the driver take a mandatory rest period at a hotel.

Lawyers said Kelly was two hours away from the Cook County courthouse at about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Prosecutors said Kelly, who faces numerous counts of child pornography stemming from a videotape of a sexual encounter with a then-teenage girl, was abusing an already lenient situation.

Since he's allowed to be on the tour, "the very least he could have done is to get back here" for a scheduled court date, Assistant State's Attorney Shauna Boliker said.

Gaughan said he hopes to set a trial date for Kelly at his scheduled appearance today.

The case is five years old.