"R. KELLY'S FANS FAVORED BY JUDGED, TRAIL SET FOR MAY"

By Brandi Hopper of SOHH

R&B star R. Kelly was dealt another break this morning (Dec. 21) with the judge ruling on keeping the singer's bond in tact.

As SOHH previously reported, Kells narrowly escaped being arrested yesterday, after missing a court appearance in his child pornography case.

Judge Vincent Gaughan had warned Kells yesterday that he'd consider revoking the singer's bond and throwing him in jail. The judge also said earlier that he was "very disappointed" that Kelly, currently on tour, missed his hearing. But today, the judge gave him another chance.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, while the judge said he didn't want to put Kelly's employees out of work during the holiday season and disappoint fans who'd already purchased tickets to his concerts, he ordered Kelly to cancel a Jan. 13 appearance in Hampton, Va., so he doesn't miss a Jan. 14 court date. Gaughan also admonished Kells for his tour bus getting pulled over for speeding through Utah, one of the reasons cited by Kell's attorney for missing his Dec. 19 hearing. (continue)