R. Kelly tells judge: I believe I can fly
Megastar R&B singer R. Kelly promised Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan today that the next time he faces a pressing court date, he will fly home, despite his well-known fear of flying.
Kelly's lawyer, Ed Genson, said part of the reason Kelly missed court dates Tuesday and Wednesday was because he is afraid to fly. The superstar is so scared of planes that he even takes boats when he tours Europe, Genson said.
Kelly was in court Thursday upon a motion by prosecutors to jail him for missing his Tuesday and Wednesday hearings. But prosecutor Shauna Boliker undercut her motion to jail Kelly when she showed up a couple of minutes late herself on Friday. Upon her arrival, Judge Gaughan said, "We're (discussing) the dilemma that you're going to have complaining about someone not being in court on time."
Boliker apologized but still maintained Kelly should be jailed for missing his court date. Genson pointed out Kelly has been on time to 107 court dates prior to this.
Gaughan denied the prosecution's motion to revoke Kelly's bail and seemed more concerned that Kelly was the supervisor of the tour operation that had buses going a reported 101 miles per hour when police stopped them in Utah for speeding Tuesday.
"That really worries me," Gaughan said.
Genson said Kelly was asleep at the time and did not know the buses were speeding.
Gaughan declined to jail Kelly in part, he said, because he didn't want Kelly to have to cancel multiple upcoming concerts -- including a Friday performance at the United Center -- and throw hundreds of workers out of jobs before Christmas. But Gaughan warned Kelly that if he misses another court date, he likely would face jail.
He also revised Kelly's bail to specify that any vehicle in which Kelly travels must obey speeding laws and that if he faces a race to court again, he must be prepared to fly.
Kelly thanked the judge and said, "I'd also like to say that I'm sorry for this whole incident … Next time I'll get on a plane."
Kelly also will have to cancel a Jan. 13 concert in Hampton, Va., to make his next court date of Jan. 14.
Gaughn also set a trial date of May 9, nearly six years after the 40-year-old superstar was charged with child pornography, accused of videotaping sex acts with a young teenage girl in or before 2000.
Kelly has pleaded not guilty to the charges and remained free on bond. The singer of hits like "I Believe I Can Fly" and "Ignition," Kelly has released a handful of albums since his arrest and, with the court's permission, conquered the nation in multiple concert tours.