Lawyers for R. Kelly desperate to research potential jurors on social media
Lawyers for disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly are begging the federal judge in his racketeering case to give them the names of potential jurors so they can review their social media profiles.
The “I Believe I Can Fly” singer’s lawyers penned a letter to Brooklyn Federal Judge Ann Donnelly on Tuesday asking her to rethink her order for an entirely anonymous and sequestered jury.
Because the case is so high-profile, it’s essential that Kelly’s lawyers — not the singer himself — be able to research potential jurors to see if they’ve posted about Kelly or his alleged crimes, the lawyers argued.
“Both the defense and prosecution should be allowed to explore whether perspective jurors have commented about the allegations or have social media connections with alleged victims or witnesses,” wrote lawyer Stephen Greenberg.
“The defense would like to be able to conduct an internet search, running the jurors’ names through Google, Twitter, and Facebook, to learn what they can. That cannot be done if the jurors’ names are concealed.”
Donnelly ruled in October that jurors in the case against Robert Sylvester Kelly, 54, would be anonymous due to Kelly’s history of “obstructing the judicial process, the potential for juror intimidation and the intensity of media attention given to this case.”
A trio of his associates were arrested in August for intimidating and bribing witnesses — though he was not accused of taking part.
The feds did not immediately respond to the Tuesday letter, and the judge has not made a ruling.
Kelly is being held in federal jail in Chicago, where he’s also awaiting a federal trial on child porn charges that will take place after his Brooklyn trial.
In Brooklyn, Kelly is accused of running a racketeering scheme that trafficked girls and women at his shows. He forced the girls to call him daddy, and did not allow them to eat or leave their rooms without his permission, prosecutors said.
The Brooklyn federal trial — which has been repeatedly delayed due to COVID-19 — is now scheduled to start on April 7.
