R. Kelly’s Federal Trial Begins in Chicago With Jury Selection


R. KellyThe federal trial began today (August 15) in Chicago. Kelly was tried for child pornography and obstruction charges in an Illinois federal court that followed he charged in July 2019. The test is originally set started on April 27, 2020, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and due to Kelly’s separate trial in a federal court in Brooklyn, New York.

The first day of Kelly’s trial centered on jury selection; 60 potential jurors were asked about the singer and the charges against him. Most of the questions focused on the 2019 Lifetime documentary R. Kelly lives and whether or not the jurors saw the limited series. Kelly’s attorney requested that US District Judge Harry Leinenweber automatically disqualify anyone who watched the six-part series; the request was denied. Court adjourned with the jury pool reduced to 34.

Kelly’s trial in Illinois comes 14 years after his first trial in an Illinois federal court, where he acquitted of 14 counts of child pornography. In a 2008 trial, Kelly was accused of filming a sex tape with a minor girl, but the jury found the girl’s identity inconclusive after the girl was believed to be seen in the video. refused to testify in court.

More than a decade later, prosecutors claimed that Kelly and two former employees, Derrel McDavid and Milton Brown, victims and witnesses are compensated in the 2008 trial. Kelly and his former employees have pleaded not guilty to the allegations. The R&B musician faces other sex crime charges in Illinois, as well accusations of prostitution of a minor in Minnesota.

Kelly’s second trial in Chicago follows his trial in a federal court in Brooklyn, New York, where he found guilty in racketeering and sex trafficking. He is was sentenced to 30 years in prison in June 2022. He later nabbed the Metropolitan Detention Center Brooklyn—where he has been incarcerated since June 2022—for placing him under suicide watch as a punishment. He is removed from suicide watch following suit.


If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault, we encourage you to reach out for support:

RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline
http://www.rainn.org
1 800 656 HOPE (4673)

Crisis Text Line
http://www.facebook.com/crisistextline (chat support)
SMS: Text “HERE” to 741-741



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