Judge says R. Kelly will have to appear in Cook County court for future hearings

The judge in R. Kelly's ongoing state court case told his defense attorney Thursday that going forward he wants the R&B superstar in a Cook County courtroom for hearings - though Kelly was excused from attending the next one.

Kelly has long been absent from status hearings in the state case, where little of note has happened while the singer faced federal prosecutions in New York and Chicago.

Cook County Judge Lawrence Flood said he wanted Kelly, who is currently being held in federal custody, to attend any "substantive" hearings.

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