Secrecy continues in R. Kelly trial

In a continuing effort to shroud the R. Kelly trial in secrecy, a judge and courtroom personnel last week kept the media from entering court at the start of the jury selection process, when the parties were being introduced to the jury pool and the indictment, reportedly under seal since 2002, was read.

Deputies who chalked it up to "first-day jitters" would be more believable if this were the first example of unusual secrecy in the case, but much of the pre-trial work has been closed to the public and press. When the court-appointed media liaison asked the judge to halt the proceedings until the situation was resolved, he reportedly responded, "No, not right now." He later said he did not know the media had been excluded.

Jury selection continued today, with members of the news media and public present.