R. Kelly Trial: Judge To Decide Whether Cameras Are Permitted In Courtroom

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R&B singer R. Kelly leaves the Cook County jail after posting $100 thousand bond on February 25, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. Kelly was being held after turning himself in to face ten counts of aggravated sexual abuse.
The associate judge is set to review a media request for R. Kelly's trial.

R. Kelly's sexual abuse trial will undoubtedly be one of the biggest cases this decade. The singer's been charged with 10 counts of aggravated sexual assault involving three women. This Friday, the judge presiding over the case will decide whether they'll allow cameras inside of the courtroom during his trial as well as the months leading up to the trial. The topic is set to be the focus of Friday's hearing in Cook County.

Chicago Police Department via Getty Images

Several media publications have requested permission to film the court proceedings but one of the alleged victims has opposed to it. The use of cameras in Cook County courtrooms dates back to 2015. Judges have control on not only whether they're permitted inside the courtroom but also the limitation to what can be filmed.

A woman, whose name is listed as H.W. in documents, objected to having cameras in the courtroom.

“Being that he was found innocent before, I have no interest in being a media spectacle,”  she wrote in a public filing. She further claimed the cameras would "trigger me" and claimed the singer's team have already  “attempted to publicly shame” some of the alleged victims. “My dignity matters most to me,” she wrote.

R. Kelly vehemently denied all allegations against him. He appeared on CBS with Gayle King last week for an explosive interview where he denied being a sexual predator and any other wrongdoing. 


About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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