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R. Kelly Trial Finally Set to Stand Trial

Six years of never-ending delays have finally come to an end in R. Kelly's child pornography trial. Jury selection will start on Friday in Kelly's hometown of Chicago. More than 30 pretrial motions contributed to the case's delay, as well as two fluke incidents: Kelly's emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix and a fractures suffered by Judge Vincent Gaughan after falling from a ladder at home.

Kelly was first indicted on June 5, 2002, after a video of him having sex with a young girl—maybe as young as 13—surfaced. The woman who filed charges against Kelly is not the one in the tape, however. The 41-year-old R&B star has settled three cases of having sex with underage girls before. If convicted in this one, he could face up to 15 years in prison.

—The ARTISTdirect Staff
05.08.08