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Three Jurors Picked for R. Kelly Porn Trial

AP

Posted: 2008-05-13 08:57:12

Filed Under: Star Scandals, Music News

CHICAGO (May 13) - The wife of a Baptist preacher from R. Kelly's hometown, a business executive and a telecommunications company employee were the first three jurors chosen Monday for the R&B superstar's child pornography trial.

R&B Star on Trial

Supporters and protestors clashed on Friday outside the court where jury selection has begun in R. Kelly's child pornography trial. The case, which has been delayed six years, centers around a videotape that allegedly shows the singer having sex with a girl as young as 13 or 14.

Frank Polich, Reuters

The 41-year-old star was flanked by security guards as he arrived at the Chicago courtroom. Prosecutors say they have identified the girl in the tape, who is now in her 20s. Kelly's lawyers claim the alleged victim will say she's not the girl on the tape.

John Gress, Reuters

Kelly has pleaded not guilty and won't say if it's him on the tape. But according to the Chicago Sun-Times, the FBI has confirmed its authenticity. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. His hits include 'Bump N' Grind' and 'I Believe I Can Fly.'

Frank Micelotta, Getty Images

The executive, a middle-aged man, called child pornography "the lowest of the low" during questioning by the judge and attorneys. But he said he felt he could give a fair trial to the 41-year-old Kelly, who is accused of videotaping himself having sex with a girl as young as 13.

At one point, Cook County Circuit Judge Vincent Gaughan said nobody in the room condoned child pornography and Kelly appeared to nod his head in agreement.

Kelly, known for sexually charged hits like "Bump N' Grind," has pleaded not guilty. The alleged victim, now 23, says it wasn't her on the videotape.

Dressed in a dark silver-gray suit and matching tie, Kelly remained mostly pokerfaced Monday, sometimes appearing to study the faces of would-be jurors across the long conference table.

There were some moments of levity during the eight hours of questioning.

When one man mentioned that someone stole his car a decade ago, Gaughan leaned forward and said, "You know Mr. Kelly had nothing to do with that, right?"

Kelly, who was seated near a men's restroom, frequently held a tissue over his nose during the proceedings, and prosecutors complained about the odor coming from the room.

The preacher's wife from Olympia Fields, where Kelly lives, said her religious beliefs would not affect her service as a juror. The judge reminded her that the trial involved "laws of man, not the laws of God," and she said she understood.

The telecommunications worker, a man in his 50s, said he'd didn't like seeing what he considered pornographic magazines at convenience stores, but he told the judge that wouldn't influence how he assessed the facts in Kelly's case. He added that the only song he knew of Kelly's was the 1997 hit, "I Believe I Can Fly."

Potential jurors who were dismissed included a man in his 50s who prosecutors said clearly was awe-struck by Kelly's celebrity and a security guard who said Kelly would have "some explaining to do" if he was on the video.

About 15 potential jurors were questioned Monday; 20 others out of an initial pool of 150 were scheduled to face questions on Tuesday. Sixteen jurors, four of them alternates, are to be chosen for the trial. Court officials have said questioning and selection from the 150 potential jurors is expected to take about a week.

The alleged victim's denial that she is on the videotape will present prosecutors with a unique challenge once the trial is under way. And Kelly's lawyers - including prominent Chicago attorney Ed Genson - haven't admitted it's Kelly in the video.

Prosecutors say the videotape was made between Jan. 1, 1998, and Nov. 1 2000, and that the alleged victim was born in September 1984. Kelly was indicted on pornography charges June 5, 2002, after the tape surfaced.

If jurors find the Grammy-winning artist guilty, he could go to prison for up to 15 years.

Kelly's lawyers had argued any jury pool has been irrevocably tainted because of pretrial publicity.

But Gaughan denied a defense motion to postpone the trial, which had already been delayed for six years, suggesting jury selection could weed out any tainted jurors.

Although Kelly won a Grammy in 1997 for the gospel-like song "I Believe I Can Fly," his biggest hits are bawdy ballads like "Ignition" and his current single, "Hair Braider." He is due to release a new album in July.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

2008-05-09 12:22:58

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311 comments

Dalbplz 09:44:38 AM May 14 2008

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Kelly needs to go to jail. weather she lied about her age or not .It doesn't change the fact she was 13 .From the tape you can see she was not 18.

AggSkater1 09:36:15 AM May 14 2008

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"Listen up racist white people so you can hear the truth......You know I speak the truth because you racists didn't make it a race issue with all of the recent stories of white pedophiles. It is only a race issue since it is a Black man."

There are racists on among every group of people, including yours. You say that only whites turn things into racial issues? We must not be on the same boards...I see anti white comments all the time that are made out of the blue. What we need to do is realize that there are good people and bad people of every race and surround ourselves with the good ones...and pity the bad ones for their ignorance.

jlwilliams22 12:52:46 AM May 14 2008

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he is talented but if he walks, THERE IS NO GOD!

www.JLWonline.com

brophydude44 12:31:11 AM May 14 2008

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hope they send a good message here,cause I'm sorry thereno excuse for this crap this dude does ot need to be with 13 yr olds and abusing them and if they make this girl out to be the bad guy the lawyer should choke on lunch,cause even black people make him out to be much worse that Michael Jackson and they had no evidence in that case,this one they do

XmasPartier 12:11:48 AM May 14 2008

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>05:07:28 PM May 13 2008 "Or that your precious Elvis got his 13 years old cousin pregnant"
* That was Jerry Lee Lewis, and it basically shattered his career in return, not to mention legal ramifications and etc... Before you go spouting off, you might want your facts straight, yet another thought to ponder in the wonderful world of Blog<
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>* The very idea that a great American such as Ronald Regan would authorise shipments of dope to target black neighborhoods. the paranoid idiocy of the whole idea. the Regan's are and always have been completely anti-drug and anti-druggie. it makes these uninformed peeps appear to have limited intellect. still having a prehistoric brain. "not deficient - different ..." Well sometimes I wonder. .. Its a complete mass denial of any responsibility for the results of ones bad choices. Its always the Gov fault ... Or the white mans fault. Never the perp who c

ThisOLServicSuks 10:52:21 PM May 13 2008

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I did not have sexual relations with those underage looking skanks. Bout time this idiot gets his day in court, I'm sure by now his "victims" are all babies mommas. Have fun in prison loser.

ThisOLServicSuks 10:38:52 PM May 13 2008

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I did not have sexual relations with those underage looking skanks. Bout time this idiot gets his day in court, I'm sure by now his "victims" are all babies mommas. Have fun in prison loser.

ThisOLServicSuks 10:37:36 PM May 13 2008

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I did not have sexual relations with those underage looking skanks. Bout time this idiot gets his day in court, I'm sure by now his "victims" are all babies mommas. Have fun in prison loser.

Imissuauntie 10:04:07 PM May 13 2008

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THIS IS ALL A TRAP THIS GIRL LIED ABOUT HER AGE AND SO DID THE OTHER THIS GIRL KNOW WHAT SHE WAS DOING WHERE WAS HER PARENT'S?

MancusoCTLH 09:53:48 PM May 13 2008

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NISA107 05:07:28 PM May 13 2008 "Or that your precious Elvis got his 13 years old cousin pregnant"

That was Jerry Lee Lewis, and it basically shattered his career in return, not to mention legal ramifications and etc... Before you go spouting off, you might want your facts straight, yet another thought to ponder in the wonderful world of Blog

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