Joycelyn Savage handled some legal issues in her battery case, but the real drama was outside the courthouse ... where her mother ran up and begged to talk to her.
R. Kelly's girlfriend had a hearing in Chicago Thursday morning, and pled not guilty to battery for allegedly attacking and injuring Azriel Clary -- Kelly's ex and Joycelyn's former roommate.
As Savage left the courthouse, she was flanked by a couple of girls who we're told are her younger sisters -- and they were trying to get Joycelyn's attention while she's on the phone.
Then, Joycelyn's mother approaches and yells she needs to talk to her ... but gets shut down. Joycelyn hurries away and hops in a car with a woman believed to be her lawyer.
As she's getting in, it sounds like one of the sisters urges Joycelyn to "look at the documentary," and adds ... "He's been lying!" Seemingly, this is in reference to R. Kelly and the latest Lifetime docuseries on Kelly.
As we've reported ... Joycelyn's been estranged from her parents for years, ever since leaving home and moving in with R. Kelly. Azriel did the same thing, but recently severed ties with Kelly, moved out of his Chicago condo and reunited with her family ... but not before a blowout fight with Joycelyn.
Gerald Griggs, the attorney for Joycelyn's parents, tells TMZ ... the family's still very concerned about her well-being and safety, and since she's been with Kelly she's been "completely different from the Joycelyn they have known her entire life."
Griggs says her entire family went to Joycelyn's court appearance Thursday to try to make contact with her. The family hopes to at least make contact with her attorney to open up a line of communication with her.