POP QUIZ:

Is R. Kelly a serial kiddie sexual predator prevert or a wrongly targeted celebrity?

Regardless of which answer you choose it finally appears that the “R Kelly Saga” which which has taken longer to unfold than it took Tolstoy to write War and Peace is finally going to have some closure. Whether that closure is sound of steel bars closing behind Kelly for up to 15 years remains to be seen. Jury selection has finally started.

I have met R. Kelly. I met him in 2003 when he played a charity benefit concert at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. I actually hate his music. I was there on behalf of one of the charities the concert benefitted.

The sex tape scandal had broken the year before and at that time the big issue was whether he would be allowed to leave the state of Illinois to play concerts. At the time I was vaguely aware of the allegations against him but not being fan, vaguely was as much as I knew.

He seemed like a nice enough guy. It was not like he said, “”I’m R Kelly and I like to video myself with very young girls, you know any? By the way, nice to meet you…

The 41-year-old singer, whose real name is Robert Kelly, faces charges stemming from a 15-minute videotape that authorities say was made with a girl as young as 13 sometime between Jan. 1, 1998, and Nov. 1, 2000. The singer has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Regardless of whether you believe he should go to prison or is unfairly targeted, it can not be disputed that the R Kelly case is a prime example of a judicial system gone completely haywire. Let us take a look at the bizarre legal chain of events:

1. The case has been plagued by delays from the beginning, with the defense and prosecution blaming each other. There have to be stats on there on how delays of this length significantly reduce the chances of getting a conviction in a criminal case. It can not be favorable to the prosecution. This case has to be close to setting some kind of record for judicial delay in a criminal trial.

Someone explain to me how the state allows a case that hinges solely on the credibility of witness take six years to come to trial. The have been some legitimate delays but none of the type to make six years reasonable. Were they hoping to keep delaying in the hopes the victim would suddenly change her story and admit it was her? Are we letting a singers celebrity status dictate the course of justice? This was not a case where the passage of time helps the prosecution. I don’t get it.

2. The victim herself denies it was her in the video. She denied her involvement to the grand jury in 2002 and has never changed her story. She will probably testify on R Kelly’s behalf.

3. In an effort to contradict the alleged victim and bolster testimony of her friends and other witnesses prosecutors have petitioned Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan to let them present evidence at trial of what they say are other crimes Kelly has committed.

When you’re entire case becomes about ‘bolstering” you are behind the “eight ball” bigtime.

4.. The prosecutions entire case is based on calling the victim a liar and using testimony of friends and confidants to show that there is a pattern of behavior by R. Kelly including a witness who says she had a three way with R. Kelly and the victim.

So let’s see, you are going to attack your victim and use testimony regarding other acts not involving the videotape in question. You have an entirely circumstantial case. You have no direct evidence that it is even R. Kelley or the girl on the tape. It appears your entire case is hinging on another girl saying she had a three way with the victim and R Kelly and then identifying and “carbon dating” the victim in the tape. There is going to be nothing left of that witness when the defense finishes with her.

I would rather be waterboarded than stake my life on the prediction of a jury verdict but I don’t think I am going to far out on a limb in predicting an acquittal for R Kelly.

What do you think? Targeted Celeb? Righteous Bust? Monster waste of money?

Maybe being labeled a “pervert pewee king” was just what R. Kelly needed for his career….

A strange kharma……

BLOG UPDATE 6/13/08 R.Kelly was found not guilty. You can read the story here.