R. Kelly Not Guilty!!
WOW! This is big news! The many years delayed R Kelly sex trial which took place recently has returned a verdict: not guilty! According to the associated press, Jurors returned a verdict of not guilty on all 14 counts:
R. Kelly was acquitted of all charges Friday after less than a day of deliberations in his child pornography trial, ending a six-year ordeal for the R&B superstar. Kelly dabbed his face with a handkerchief and hugged each of his four attorneys after the verdict — not guilty on all 14 counts — was read. The Grammy award-winning singer had faced 15 years in prison if convicted. Minutes later, surrounded by bodyguards, he left the courthouse without comment. Dozens of fans screamed and cheered as he climbed into a waiting SUV.
September 17: R. Kelly Trial
It’s going to be difficult to try R. Kelly for 14 counts of child pornography more than five years after the events allegedly occurred. Although the singer’s attorneys are trying to claim that the identity of the girl on the tape is unknown and therefore her age is unknown, as well as that R. Kelly himself may or may not be the adult African American male on the tape, Robert Sylvester Kelly, was nonetheless charged with engaging in sex acts with a young teenager.
It’s well known that 15-year-old Aaliyah and 27-year-old R. Kelly had secretly married after Vibe magazine leaked their marriage certificate. Then after the charges in 2002, he was charged in 2003 with 12 counts of possession of child pornography after police obtained digital photographs from his camera. Unfortunately, the search that led to that bust was ruled illegal, and R. Kelly skated away a free man.
If you want to know how I feel about R Kelly, Dave Chappelle [NSFW] sums it up. Lock that bastard up! Let me know how YOU feel in the comments!
R Kelly Quote of the Day
“It’s like a rain forest, like Jurassic Park, except I’m your sex-a-saurus baby”
Why is it everytime he opens his mouth and sings, his lyrics are ridiculous and nonsensical?
R. Kelly & Justice Don’t Mix
There’s a CNN story about R Kelly’s magical escape from Justice. It highlights:
How Singer R. Kelly has been waiting five years for his sex-tape trial. In that time, he has made six albums and gone on three tours. Kelly will appear Friday for a status hearing in a Chicago courtroom. Judge’s fall from ladder, appendicitis, busy lawyer contribute to delays.
It has be hard to live with a trial looming over you, but for R Kelly it may be a litigation advantage:
Kelly’s lawyers may figure that the delays have worked in their client’s favor, and not only because they’ve given him the chance to keep working and making millions. “You may have a jury that’s going to come in and say, ‘So this happened in the 1990s and this is 2007? I’m just not buying it,”‘ Helfand said.
You can go check out the CNN story for more sordid details. Given his predilection for young women–Aaliyah who was 15, for example, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a conviction and 15 wonderful years without another Sex in the Kitchen.