No new jurors were selected in the R. Kelly case Wednesday, leaving the count at eight—four white and four black.
Candidate after candidate came in with reasons why they could not serve on the high-profile trial. Explanations included saying they would be unable to give Kelly a fair trial because they have teenage daughters or have pressing duties at work.
Two men appear likely to make the panel, however: a recent college graduate and a man vaguely familiar with the singer's career. Both avoided grillings from prosecutors and defense attorneys with middle-of-the-road answers to questions about the justice system and their personal feelings about Kelly. Both are white.
The recent college graduate has previous convictions for marijuana possession and underage drinking, according to pool reports. He said he was too young to remember the O.J. Simpson trial, but he paid attention to other celebrity cases such as NFL star Michael Vick's dogfighting trial.
The other possible juror said he knew a little about Kelly, who has pleaded not guilty to child pornography charges stemming from a sexually explicit videotape authorities say he made with a girl as young as 14. The man said he saw a censored portion of the video on television, but he could be a fair juror.
Among those dismissed Wednesday were a man who considered Kelly a pedophile and a woman who described the Grammy winner as "not very smart."
Kelly, who rarely appears to pay attention to the questioning, looked up and cast a wounded glance toward the woman. It's the most emotion he has shown since jury selection began.
"Anyone who would become accused or be in that position of doing that supposedly with a child isn't very smart," she said. "He needs help."
sstclair@tribune.com
