The jury selection process has begun in the child pornography trial of R&B singer R. Kelly. Kelly is charged with 14 counts of having sex with a minor on videotape.
Deputies ushered 150 potential jurors into the courtroom for the trial. The selection process begins Monday. R. Kelly has been awaiting trial for six years. A number of unexpected events and pre-trial motions have caused the long delay. That didn’t stop Kelly’s attorneys from trying to delay the trial further. They argued the intense media coverage of the case in the past few days could have tainted potential jurors. The judge rejected that claim.
Meanwhile, members of the news media are questioning whether their rights were violated. Deputies did not allow any reporters into the courtroom during the judge’s reading of the indictment.