Jurors selected in the R. Kelly trial
Jury selection finished Thursday in the R. Kelly child pornography trial. The panel includes 12 jurors and four alternates. The jurors are:
• A wife of a Baptist preacher from Kelly's Chicago-area hometown, Olympia Fields. During jury selection, the judge reminded the black woman in her 50s that the trial involved "laws of man, not the laws of God." She said she understood that.
• A young white woman who said she'd once been raped. But she also said she could put that traumatic experience aside and hear the case fairly. The judge rejected defense attorneys' efforts to dismiss her during jury selection.
• A compliance officer for a Chicago investment firm who initially said jury duty could get him fired. The white man in his late 30s came into the courtroom for the jury-selection process with an "Impeach Bush" button on his bookbag.
• A 68-year-old white man who emigrated from Communist Romania 38 years ago. He praised the U.S. justice system, and assured the judge he would be diligent, saying, "I'm probably not the smartest guy, but I will do what is best and fair."
• A teacher's aide at St. Agatha parish, where the Rev. Daniel McCormack worked before pleading guilty in 2007 to sexually abusing boys. The black woman in her 20s said she'd previously discussed the case with acquaintances.
• A business executive who said he had believed Kelly was guilty from what he read. But the white, middle-aged man said he could set aside any preconceptions and give Kelly a fair trial.
• A telecommunications worker who described himself as a Christian and said he didn't like seeing pornographic magazines at stores. But the black man in his 50s said that wouldn't influence how he assessed the facts in Kelly's case.
• A criminal justice student who said she knew one or two songs by Kelly. The white woman in her 20s told the judge she was concerned about missing an upcoming final exam, and the judge told her he would make provisions for that.
• A recent university graduate. The white man once spent five days in jail for marijuana possession.
• A culinary student. The black man in his 30s said he could put what he's heard and read about Kelly aside and give him a fair hearing.
• A white man in his late 40s who has served on two civil cases at the Daley Center in Chicago.
• A white man in his 30s or 40s who said he knew nothing about the Kelly case.
The alternates are:
• A young Latino man who said during jury selection that pictures don't always reveal the whole truth of a situation.
• A young white man whose uncle was convicted of child pornography.
• A black woman in her 60s. She's a retired Cook County sheriff's deputy who worked in the same complex the trial is taking place.
• A black woman in her 40s who did not face extensive questioning.