R Kelly was in court yesterday as jury selection began for his upcoming child pornography trial. Attorneys on both sides, and the judge, will question 150 potential candidates on their knowledge of the allegations against the singer and their opinion of him, in a bid to find 12 jurors and four substitutes that both sides consider acceptable.
As we have reported at length, Kelly is accused of 14 counts of making child pornography relating to a video that allegedly shows him engaging in sex acts with a 14 year old girl. The singer has pleaded not guilty to the charges. When the trial gets under way, his defence is expected to concentrate on the fact that the girl prosecutors say is in the video denies that it is her. Kelly and his lawyer have also, as yet, not conceded that it is the singer in the video, either.
During the selection process, Kelly apparently remained poker-faced, appearing to scan the faces of potential jurors and occasionally speaking to his lawyers.
Lawyer Steve Cron, who is not working on the case, told reporters: "In a case where a celebrity has good and bad public images, [jury selection is] critical".