R. Kelly Pleads Not Guilty
• UPDATED: Singer R. Kelly appeared in a Chicago courtroom Monday morning to be arraigned on four charges of sexual abuse, three of the victims minors. His attorney Steve Greenberg entered pleas of not guilty on his client’s behalf.
As the Chicago Sun-Times reports, “Kelly was largely silent during the 10-minute hearing, speaking his name when asked by the judge and saying something inaudible as Greenberg said the singer would plead not guilty to all 10 counts against him. Kelly’s next court date was set for March 22.”
After spending three nights in jail, The Sun-Times reports Kelly was finally able to pull together the $100,000 he needed to secure his release from Cook County Jail. After leaving the jail late Monday, Kelly fought through a crowd of media and got into a large black van, which headed to the flagship McDonald’s at 600 N. Clark St. Every move was followed by media cameras and at least one helicopter, even as Kelly and his entourage got out of the van and walked into the restaurant. From there Kelly was taken to a local cigar lounge, where he spent several hours inside.
Kelly was charged last Friday in four separate cases of sexual abuse, involving four different victims in incidents from 1998 to 2010. Three of the alleged victims were between the ages of 14 and 16 at the time the abuse occurred.
