Jun 13, 2008 5:50 pm US/Central
Fans Relieved, Excited At R. Kelly Acquittal
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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R. Kelly fans gathered outside the courthouse hoping to catch a glimpse of the R&B superstar after he was acquitted June 13, 2008 of charges of child pornography.
CBS
Fans of R&B superstar R. Kelly are reacting to his acquittal on child pornography charges with relief and excitement.
CBS 2's Susan Carlson reports many of them believe the jury did its job.
His supporters cheered wildly when Kelly left the courthouse and climbed into his black sport-utility vehicle, shortly after the verdict was read Friday afternoon. Dozens of fans have been hanging out outside the courthouse daily, hoping to catch a glimpse of the singer during the five-week long trial. This time, they weren't just star-gazing, they were feeling victorious.
"I'm glad that they found him not guilty," said Kelly fan Pinky Williams. "I love him for his music, not for that stuff that they claim he had done."
"I think the jury got it 100 percent right," said music manager Robert Fair. "We've seen so many times the jury members get it wrong and in this case, I think justice was served."
Fair said it all came down to prosecutors lacking evidence.
"There was no victim in this case," Fair said. "There was no girl and there was no parents in the courtroom that said he was guilty."
He's not alone in that opinion.
"They didn't have a strong enough case, basically. It took them five years and they still couldn't come up with nothing to convict the man of," Kelly fan William Harris said.
Other fans told us they thought Kelly was framed.
"Because money makes the world go round, people do strange things for money," said fan Lisa Jones.
"A lot of girls lie, too, about their age. Just like the girls here. A lot of girls would like to be with R. Kelly," said Kelly fan Hector Gomez.
Even the fans who aren't ready to call Kelly an angel, say they were confident all along the singer would be found not guilty.
"I didn't say he was innocent... but I knew he was gonna get off," said Ampia Brown-Ridge.
In addition to a constant crowd of fans at the courthouse, this sensational case has also attracted media from all over the world. At least a dozen outlets sent reporters, from the BBC, to MTV, to German radio, creating a media circus.
A lot of reporters and court employees were overheard saying Friday they are relieved it's finally over.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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