R. Kelly Is Found Not Guilty
R. Kelly has just been found not guilty of the 14 counts of child pornography brought against him, ending a 6-year ordeal that has plagued the singer ever since a video tape surfaced that allegedly showed Kelly engaged in graphic sex acts with an underage girl (it was believed she was as young as 13 at the time). Now, after all this time, R. Kelly has been vindicated against these charges:
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. Prosecutors had argued that a video tape mailed to the Chicago Sun-Times in 2002 showed Kelly engaged in graphic sex acts with a girl as young as 13 at the time. Both Kelly, 41, and the now 23-year-old alleged victim had denied they were the ones on the tape. Neither testified during the trial. The prosecution’s star witness was a woman who said she engaged in three-way sex with Kelly and the alleged victim. Defense attorneys argued the man on the tape didn’t have a large mole on his back; Kelly has such a mole. The monthlong trial centered on whether Kelly was the man who appears on a sexually graphic, 27-minute videotape at the heart of the case, and whether a female who also appears on it was underage. Over seven days presenting their case, prosecutors called 22 witnesses, including several childhood friends of the alleged victim and four of her relatives who identified her as the female on the video. In just two days, Kelly’s lawyers called 12 witnesses. They included three relatives of the alleged victim who testified they did not recognize her as the female on the tape.
Yeesh! I cannot believe this thing is finally over. We’ve been hearing about this video tape and these charges against R. Kelly for what seems like EVER and at last he has been found not guilty. You know, at first I totally believed that he was the dude in the video (and he may have been, the prosecution may just not have been able to prove it) but over time, as Kelly remained steadfast that he was innocent my opinion started to change. It just goes to show that public opinion should never have a bearing on matters of law and jurisprudence. Just because you may think someone is guilty doesn’t mean it is so. Congrats to R. Kelly on his vindication. Now, hopefully, he can get his ass back in the studio to record some more volumes of the Trapped In A Closet opus I love so much.
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June 13th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
I CANT BELIEVE!
he is for sure guilty….
aghh!!!!!!
June 13th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Are you kidding me, it was soooo clearly him on the tape(s).
June 13th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
I never saw the tape, but I cannot believe he’s been acquitted… I pray he’ll stay the hell away from them young ass girls or at the very least get some ID…
June 13th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Come on now! You know he’s guilty. Talented or not? He is guilty as sin. Just check out the tape. And let’s not forget his marriage to Aliyah. The guy is not in his right mind.
June 13th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
This guy has quite a history with going after girls that are WAY too young. Sick perv. It sounds a lot like Michael Jackson’s case. Where there is a lot of smoke, there’s usually a fire.
June 13th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
I don’t see how anyone would doubt his guilt…he is a long-time, well-known dabbler in underage chickadees. Aaliyah, anyone? And please…who has the time and cash to doctor VIDEOTAPE of him with a kid? This was a case of the jury giving him a free ride because he b(r?)ought experts in to say they couldn’t see a mole. It’s a joke. Just like Jacko, if you are rich enough, you can get away with anything. Age really AIN’T nothin’ but a number.
June 13th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Money/Celebrity, yet again proves to be tipping point for the scales of justice.
June 13th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
the new update for ya trent: 5 of the 12 jurors know it’s Kelly on the tape and they don’t doubt it. however the girl from the tape refused to testify against him, and because of that they had to issue a not guilty verdict. he’s a talented singer BUT there is more than one account of him doing this and the prosecution had a much stronger defense than kelly’s team. it all boiled down to her NOT saying anything. I really do hope that he doesn’t get caught doing this again.. or at least he needs to learn to hide his camcorder.
June 13th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
oh yeah.. the aaliyah marriage. let’s not forget that in order for her to marry him, her parents probably had to sign papers agreeing to it. So we have to place blame on them as well for that if it was true. was there any proof they were really married?
June 13th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
“oh yeah.. the aaliyah marriage. let’s not forget that in order for her to marry him, her parents probably had to sign papers agreeing to it. So we have to place blame on them as well for that if it was true. was there any proof they were really married?”
Doesn’t matter. Yes, it would definitely prove they were sh!tty parents if they did sign, but that alone proves his thing for really young girls. Period. He’s a skeevy perv who once again has proven that fame and money can do nearly anything.
June 13th, 2008 at 9:09 pm
C’mon Trent……He is so guilty….
I saw the tape……There is a part when someone knocks on his door and calls his name and he turns his face to the camera and says”huh?”!!!! NO DOUBT!!
June 13th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
He used a typical legal tactic – stall for six+ years.
Witnesses die, forget or private investigators digs up dirt to convince them it’s not worth testifying.
He better keep his biz in his pants and plan on taking his mom to any prom he decides to “crash”.
June 13th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
Sounds like someone handed out some checks.
June 14th, 2008 at 9:38 am
Trent — you changed your mind because R. Kelly said he was innocent? Do you really think he would admit to guilt? No, of course not — he would deny until death carried him off to a better (or worse..) place, or until his acquittal six years later…
June 14th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
The burden on the prosecution is to prove each element of each charge “beyond a reasonable doubt” which is the court system’s heaviest burden and therefore most difficult to prove to a jury. The fact that the initial list of prosecution witnesses dwindled each year the litigation wore on, largely due to the defense’s over 20 motions filed back to back to extend the case as long as possible while denying such legal maneuvers; and that the victim refused to testify, made this a tremendously difficult case to prosecute. Unfortunately, defendants with money do often triumph in a legal system with limited resources, regardless of their actual guilt or innocence.. Tactics to intimidate potential witnesses or to suggest that witnesses and victims may profit from future “music careers” if they do not testify adversely against the defendant, have great sway over people, especially those who with little financial means. His acquittal does not mean he did not do what he was charged with, his acquittal means that the 12 person jury did not believe him guilty of those charges beyond a reasonable doubt. A claim of innocence may be maintained by any defendant no matter what the evidence is able to prove or disprove. Therefore just because someone is guilty, does not mean they will be punished by the criminal system.
June 14th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
He is so guilty! I guess his strategy worked…stall, stall and pay big money for a defense team.
June 14th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
wow, that makes me totally sick!
June 14th, 2008 at 8:44 pm
PLEASE DO NOT CONGRATULATE THIS PEDOPHILE!!!! I saw that tape and it was DEFINITELY HIM! He set up that camera and put his face directly in font of it to make sure it focused in the right direction….I am so pissed!!!!
June 15th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Congratulations on having enough money to sway some witnesses, maybe…