R. Kelly is finally about to have his day in court, albeit the pandemic may sway the date due to the unpredictable nature of the virus and people who have blatantly ignored existing protocol.
The judge in the case, U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber, said the date, Sept. 13, 2021, is “not set in stone,” according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
The 53-year-old award-winning R&B crooner, who has been behind bars since July 2019, had been set to go to trial for two different cases – one in Chicago and the other in Brooklyn – but the pandemic prevented the courts from fulfilling either of those dates.
While awaiting a trial date, Kelly and his lawyer, Steven Greenberg, have requested the singer be allowed his freedom and every request was denied. Greenberg offered that he would agree to the trial date as long as it allowed for flexibility should problems arise. This includes his ability to speak with his client in an effort to prepare while Kelly is locked up.
Greenberg admitted officials have “done their best” to arrange video meetings at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, but “access to our client has been difficult.”
He continued: “We’ve had a block of time several days of week … but then the other day, there was no signal from the MCC. That impacts our ability to review documents.”
Kelly is accused of child pornography and obstruction of justice in Chicago. He faces charges of racketeering in Brooklyn.
A federal judge set a new trial date in Chicago for R. Kelly, though the judge acknowledged it is “not set in stone” given the unpredictability caused by the coronavirus pandemic. https://t.co/kxtbbwvoVe
— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) December 22, 2020
