Jury selection for the R. Kelly trial has begun, and speculation is
flying that the prosecution plans to weed out fans of the R&B superstar.
According to the Associated Press, Kelly has pleaded not guilty to
videotaping himself having sex with a minor. The16 jurors chosen for the
case – that has been postponed off-and-on throughout the course of an
entire year – will be key for both the prosecutors and defense attorneys.
"In a case where a celebrity has good and bad public images, it's
critical," says Steve Cron, a 35-year defense attorney who has no
relation to the Kelly trial. Cron says that the prosecution is likely to
take careful measures to eliminate Kelly fans. "…The prosecution should
be successful in excluding them," he said, adding that the prosecutors
are likely to go for educated jurors, particularly technical people who
can articulate what’s actually happening in the video.
The sex tape was
created between January 1, 1998 and November 1, 2000, and the girl
believed to be in the video, now 23, claims it’s not her.
On the first day of the trial Friday, Cook County Circuit Judge Vincent
Gaughan told potential jurors: “As you know, this is a high-profile
case," he said, according to court transcripts. "And if you don't know,
God love you. You're probably the only person on Earth that doesn't."
Jury selection is expected to be a weeklong process.
If Kelly is found guilty, he faces up to 15 years in prison.
del.icio.us
digg
Furl
Reddit
YahooMyWeb
Comments
1.
OBSYD says:
view profile
MAN EITHER LET HIM GO!!! OR LOCK HIM UP!!! MAKE UP YOUR MIND!!!
WWW.OBSYD.COM
YOUTUBE.COM/BARISIMO1
May 13, 2008 at 6:12 pm