| Show After 6 years R. R Kellys Kelly's trial date nears Peter The Washington Post It has been six years since silky voiced singer R. R Kelly was indicted on child pornography charges accused of videotaping himself in sex acts with a year 14 old girl He has since sold millions of albums earned tens of millions of dollars toured the nation nation nation- and never faced a jury Attorneys dueled one another over expert witnesses They battled about the videotape They won postponements because of other trials and obligations A prosecutor gave b birth Kelly had hadan hadan hadan an appendectomy and the judge fell off an foot 18 ladder while trying to fix a skylight Through it all presumed innocent Kelly produced music that rocketed to the top of the Billboard charts But now barring accident or surprise the year old RB superstar will go on trial next month in Chicago in a case that could shape his offstage reputation for years to come Jury selection is scheduled to begin May 9 on the South Side where the enigmatic hometown showman who likes to keep it real is expected to endure some of the most real moments of his lifeR lifeR life R hR Kelly is looking forward to his day in court and he is confident that when all the evidence comes out he will be shown not to have committed any crime said I Kelly spokesman Allan Mayer who will fly in from New Yo York k to help manage the expected m media media- hubbub Cook County Circuit Court Coui f t Judge Vincent M. M Gaug Gaughan n imposed a gag order limiting th details that have filtered froth series of door closed-door sessions f fri fri- recent months In earlier hearings j Kellys Kelly's attorneys b began gan by denying g that he was the man in the video video video-I while the alleged victim denied S that she was the girl The attorneys led by prominent Chicago lawyer Edward Ge Genson who has represented fallen m media d a. a s I baron Conrad Black and fo former U er Rep Mel Reynolds D also sQ said the female in the video w was was s 18 and therefore had reached the th age of consent To counter those assertions assertion prosecutors have labored to assemble witnesses including relatives of the alleged victim who is now in her early eady Th The government has also assembled experts to authenticate and date the recording based in p part on the setting as well as r radio dio advertisements and songs by th the I- I Spice Girls and Boys heard in the background Gaughan ruled over over defense defens objections that the mi 26 26 i te videotape which is available available- on oil the Internet will be played in court It shows a man engaged d xi variety of sex acts with a girl Fl H is also seen giving her money |
