Several outlets, including the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune, objected to measures imposed by Cook County Criminal Court Judge Vincent Gaughan, who placed documents under seal, had four closed hearings and imposed an order barring lawyers in the case from speaking about it, the Sun-Times reported Tuesday.

"Records and proceedings in the Kelly case have not only been sealed but also sealed without any judicial findings with respect to the reasons for secrecy. These actions inherently exceed the circuit court's authority," the news organizations' lawyers wrote Monday when asking the Supreme Court to issue an order.

Gaughan said last week Kelly's lawyers and prosecutors needed time to respond to the news organizations and scheduled a hearing for May 8, just one day before jury selection is to begin for Kelly's trial in Chicago.

Kelly, 41, of Olympia Fields, Ill., has pleaded innocent to charges of child pornography for allegedly videotaping himself having sex with an underage girl. The case has been pending since June 2002 and the trial has been delayed repeatedly.