The Hereford Times

R Kelly trial jury set to be chosen

11:20am Monday 12th May 2008

Lawyers in R&B star R Kelly's child pornography trial are expected to begin questioning 150 potential jurors and it's unlikely any of his fans will be chosen to hear the allegations against him.

The 41-year-old, known for sexually charged hits like Bump N' Grind, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he filmed himself having sex with a girl as young as 13.

The selection of the jurors will be key for both prosecutors and defence lawyers, said Steve Cron, a top defence lawyer from Santa Monica, California.

"In a case where a celebrity has good and bad public images, it's critical," said Mr Cron, who has no link to the Kelly case.

It's unlikely the defence could pack the jury with R Kelly fans, because "the prosecution should be successful in excluding them", he said.

Prosecutors may seek well-educated jurors, which could help cause if they call technical experts to speak about the videotape, he said.

When the trial gets under way, prosecutors will face a daunting challenge: The girl believed to be on the videotape, who is now 23, says it wasn't her. And Kelly's lawyers - including prominent Chicago lawyer Ed Genson - haven't conceded it's Kelly in the video.

Prosecutors say the tape was made between January 1, 1998, and November 1 2000, and that the girl who appears in it 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 have argued that pre-trial publicity has precluded the possibility of selecting an impartial jury. But the judge denied a defence motion to postpone the trial, suggesting that jury selection could weed out any tainted jurors.