Gawker
Poor R. Kelly. All the R & B singer did was maybe videotape himself having sex with a peeing on the face of a girl as young as 13 and now he faces 15 years in prison. Well, Mr. Kelly met his prospective jury this week and it did not go well. "Some of the potential jurors looked uncomfortable, and at least a few placed their hands over their eyes as the judge read some of the more graphic sections of the indictments, said Verna Sadock, a sketch artist who was in the room."
"Before jury selection began Friday, [Circuit Judge Vincent] Gaughan denied a defense motion to again postpone the trial because of intense publicity surrounding the case, appearing to accept arguments from the prosecution that jury selection could weed out any tainted jurors.
"But defense attorney Marc Martin said the jury pool had been 'irrevocably poisoned' by a front-page story in Friday's Chicago Sun-Times that cited unnamed sources talking about a potential witness.
"Many of the potential jurors would have read the article on the way to the courthouse, Martin said. 'There is no escaping the fact that the Sun-Times will be in every news box in Cook County,' said Martin, adding that the contents of the story were also broadcast on TV and radio stations. 'I heard it when I was putting on my tie this morning.'
"'Somebody out there is trying to sabotage Mr. Kelly's right to a fair trial,' Martin said. As he arrived at the courthouse Friday morning, Kelly didn't acknowledge the crowd outside as he walked through a special entrance. One raucous onlooker shouted 'I love you'; another shouted 'R. Kelly's a pedophile.'" [AP]
Comments
So baby gimme that toot toot
Lemme give you that beep beep
Runnin her hands through my 'fro.
Name that tune, would you?
Morning, Ian.
Where can I get this spray-on beard in a can? Michael's?
I think the prosecution has the case sewed up.
@Don Is: Sharpie is your friend. [pikespeakparentnews.freedomblogging.com]
i'm confused as to why they placed their hands over their eyes. wouldn't covering their ears have been more effective? maybe they were crying.
This guy is so fucking done. Game over. And don't drop the soap.
@mydeadgayson:Glad the seance went well, dear. Nice to see you.
@Mike_Jahn: Only because R. Kelly, in fact, is the prosecution.
@Don Is: No, but Michal's might have the components. Spray on glue, and a chia pet you can grind up and paste to your face.
R. Kelly, it's dunzo for you if the jurors are making faces and covering their eyes this early on, because the opposing council will know exactly who to target throughout the trial. But on the plus side, if you like kinky sex, prison is going to love you. You'll be the belle of the ball, as Bette Midler once said.
@mydeadgayson: perceptive.
Roman Polanski has been working steadily 30+ years after his tryst with a 13-year-old. Does R. Kelly speak French?
@Tammany_Fall: did i get drunk and hold a seance?!
You know, when I was working as a court reporter, one of the dirtiest tricks in the book for the defense attorneys was to leak details of the case to the press and then claim their clients couldn't get a fair trial because the published story had tainted the jury pool. Not that R. Kelly would even associate with tricksty lawyers of low ethical standards...
Defense argument is weak as most people think the Sun-Times went out of business years ago.
@snapfinger: I don't think he knows anybody with that high of a moral character.
@snapfinger: and the corollary is the prosecution leaking details so the defendant is done
ugly all the way around
@Obviously Not Omniscient: où sont les jeunes filles? Je voudrais d'uriner sur eux!
(This comment is brought to you by Google Language Tools)
I don't believe he is going to fly.
@belltolls: They probably get it in jail, though. They don't like pedophiles in jail.
"jury selection could weed out any tainted jurors"
And during the trial Kelly could wee on any untainted jurors.
They need to find some rural jurors.
That beard makes me want to cover my eyes.
As long as he sings his testimony over a silky-smooth bassline, he'll be fine. Shit, he'll have an acquittal and a hit single.
And for the record, those raucous onlookers were both me, and what I actually yelled was "I love you, you pedophile!"
@CaptainHangNail: Les filles se cachent de vous jusqu'à votre retour en prison. Merci à vous, je suis accro à Google Outils linguistiques...
@CaptainHangNail: @Obviously Not Omniscient:
Ça suffit!
Brought to you by my bleeding eyeballs.
@Obviously Not Omniscient: I'm so glad I'm now following you, ONO.
@snapfinger: R. Kelly does not associate with tricksty lawyers. Just tricks.
"Mr. Kelly, were you aware that urine can actually aggravate the jellyfish's stingers into releasing more venom?"
"Maaaaaan, how the **** I know? That ***** ************' trippin' talking bout get this ************' jellyfish off my face!"
@Don Is: People in rural areas know about this; this might have been a good idea if they hadn't delayed the trial so long, but even then, I think a bunch too many choir members and preachers think "I Believe I Can Fly" absolved him of any past or future sins.
Not even being snarky. Really.
@robot ninja spy: i meant "a bunch" or "too many." Take your pick. :)
Please state your name for the jury.
Don't ask me what my name is,
Stupid bitch, I'm fam-ous!
Can you please tell us what happened on the night in question?
I was drillin' these chicks like Major Payne
Then I made it rain, baby I'd do it agaiiiin...
The jury finds you guilty. Were there any mitigating factors that should be considered for your sentencing?
My mind was telling me no-o-ooo... but my body, my bodeeeeey was tellin' me yessss...
@Don Is: A rural juror like Rory Journer whose pure furor endures a terrible murder?
@Tnuc: Ignition! God, I LOVE R. Kelly. Has anyone seen the last chapters of "Trapped n the Closet"? Any theories as to why AIDS is called "the package"?
@flossy: I don't share your taste in music, but I nominate this for Party Pick.
Mister Kelly, we don't conduct legal proceedings in your toilet, so please don't pee in our jury pool.
I'm incapable of joking when it comes to jury duty, as I find it that AMAZINGLY miserable. (I'm sure I'll receive another summons as soon as Tuesday just for saying this.)
The sketch artist would have been better off just drawing what the judge was reading.
@Shadowy Figure: Tell them (1) your great-great--grandfather was Emilano Zapata, (2) the laws of the United States shouldn't apply to illegal immigrants accused of crimes, and (3) that California should be returned to Mexico.
You know, I just can't listen to "Bump 'N Grind" or "Sex Me" in the same way anymore. They used to be such beautiful, classy ballads, and this whole affair has just really pissed that image away.
@Don Is: Nice 30 rock reference.
does anyone like R. Kelly? i mean,. really? maybe i'm just old.
@hughman: I truly, un-ironically do.
@Don Is: some what? rurujurus?
cannot wait for the hip hopera about this trial.
Start a discussion:
Login with your username and password below. Or comment on this post via email.
Forgot your username or password? New User?