Jury of 7 men and 5 women selected for R. Kelly's sex trafficking trial in New York City
CBSN
R&B star R. Kelly will face an anonymous jury made up of seven men and five women when his New York City sex trafficking trial goes forward next week with opening statements. Lingering health threats caused by the coronavirus pandemic and a shakeup of Kelly's defense team pushed the trial into the summer, nearly two years after he was charged with abusing women and girls for nearly two decades.
The panel was sworn in on Wednesday after dozens of potential jurors were screened by U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly in federal court in Brooklyn. The judge sought assurances from prospective jurors that they could remain impartial despite the bad publicity swirling around Robert Sylvester Kelly since his 2019 arrest. Some told her that they were mainly aware of the 54-year-old from his smash hit "I Believe I Can Fly." Many said they knew little or nothing about the case.More Related News