Jury Acquits Singer R. Kelly. After less than a day of deliberation, the jury reached a verdict, just a few minutes ago, in the R&B singer R. Kelly's pornography trial. The verdict is Not Guilty on all 14 counts. R. Kelly is a Free Man.
Kelly was charged with 14 counts of videotaping himself having sex with an underage girl, who prosecutors say was as young as 13. He was facing up to 15 years in prison.
Jurors heard closing arguments Thursday.
At one point, Sam Adam Jr., Kelly's attorney, referred to a defense argument made repeatedly during the trial that a mole on the singer's back proved he simply can't be the man in the video. After displaying a freeze frame of the man's back in the video -- with no apparent mole -- Adam said this:
The truth be told, there is no mole. That means one thing... It ain't him. And if it ain't him, you can't convict.
During the trial, Kelly made a good impression on jurors simpy always standing straight and folding his hands in front of him whenever they entered the courtroom.
Also, the jurors made a good impression on Judge Vincent Gaughan. He repeatedly praised their attentive service. All members of the jury took meticulous notes, even when testimony became highly technical.
