R. Kelly's legal issues continue to mount as the singer has been issued a bench warrant for failing to appear at his Minnesota hearing.
Kelly was scheduled to appear in front of the judge at the Hennepin County Court at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday. Yet, Kelly is incarcerated in Chicago where he's awaiting trial for federal sex crimes. According to TMZ, the federal authorities in the Northern District of Illinois will not allow prosecutors in Minnesota access to Kelly until his cases in Illinois are resolved. Despite being aware of this, the judge still hit Kelly with the warrant.
R. Kelly is currently facing two charges for engaging in prostitution with someone under 18 and hiring/offering/agreeing to hire someone for sexual contact in Minnesota. According to Kelly's lawyer, Steven Greenberg, the singer isn't trying to evade due process so this warrant is unnecessary.
"They never came to get him," Greenberg told TMZ. "[What the fuck] was he supposed to do, telepathically transport himself?"
Although it has been reported that Kelly has made requests to be in protective custody, the singer is in general population at the Chicago Correctional Center. Per TMZ, this allows him to the opportunity to be outside and visits with his girlfriends.
