R. Kelly’s attorneys started putting together a defence against federal accusations of child pornography, enticing children for sex, and rigging his 2008 state trial on Thursday in Chicago. The singer’s first witness claimed that he was the victim of extortion.
R. Kelly’s attorneys started putting up a case against federal accusations of child pornography, enticing children for sex, and rigging his 2008 state trial on Thursday in Chicago. An initial witness said the singer was the victim of extortion.
Kelly won’t be called to testify during the jury presentation.
Kelly was specifically asked by Judge Harry Leinenweber on Thursday morning if he would testify, and the Grammy Award winner said no.
The court brought up the subject just before Kelly’s and her co-defendants’ counsel called their first witness in an effort to refute two weeks of government testimony, which included testimony from four women who accused Kelly of sexual assault.
Derrel McDavid, a co-defendant and a longtime Kelly business manager, is accused of aiding Kelly in manipulating the 2008 trial, which resulted in Kelly’s acquittal. McDavid declared that he would testify. Milton Brown, a co-defendant, is accused of obtaining child porn. He declared he wouldn’t testify, just like Kelly.
The defense for R&B singer #RKelly filed a motion for an acquittal claiming that the prosecution failed to show that he specifically sought to receive child pornography. @LawCrimeDaily pic.twitter.com/io6eWpnK0P
— Law&Crime Network (@LawCrimeNetwork) September 1, 2022
It would have been dangerous to testify. Under pressure, Kelly has occasionally lost his cool, which could be detrimental to his defence.
In a 2019 interview with Gayle King on “CBS This Morning,” he lost his composure. He sprang up, sobbing, and made motions as she probed him about the allegations of sexual abuse. “This is not anything I did! “He yelled. “I am not doing this! I’m struggling to save my life!
In essence, the three defendants’ attorneys are using the same witnesses. The first witness for the defence was Christopher G. Wilson, a close friend and former police officer of McDavid. He claimed that McDavid informed him in 2001 that Kelly’s merchandiser Charles Freeman was attempting to blackmail the R&B singer.
Kelly and his friends agreed to pay Freeman $1 million to locate and deliver a film that featured Kelly, and he described how he was given bags of cash as payment in earlier testimony for the government. He said that the payment was for services provided, not as a form of blackmail. The payments, according to the prosecution, were a part of a scheme to thwart investigators before Kelly’s 2008 trial.
Wilson acknowledged during cross-examination that he did not directly see anyone attempting to extort Kelly and claimed he was relying on what McDavid had told him.
A conviction on just one or two of the Chicago trial’s counts may lengthen Kelly’s 30-year sentence, which she already received from a federal judge in New York in June after being found guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking.
The defence attempted to cast doubt on a couple of accusers’ ages through testimony on Thursday, claiming that at least one may have been 17 years old—the Illinois legal age of consent—at the time Kelly pursued her for sex.
Another defence witness, former Kelly studio intern Tom Arnold, told the jury that trading in cash was not inherently nefarious for Kelly or his employees. Arnold noted that Kelly favoured cash transactions over using his own credit cards and claimed to have once carried $125,000 to Kelly in a backpack.
The evidence from a 37-year-old lady who went by the name “Jane” two weeks ago was the pinnacle of the prosecution’s case. She testified how Kelly repeatedly assaulted her sexually beginning in 1998 when she was 14 and Kelly was about 30 years old.
The middle of the following week is predicted to be the time for closing arguments.
FAQs
How old is R Kelly and what is his net worth?
| Net Worth: | -$2 Million |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth: | Jan 8, 1967 (55 years old) |
| Gender: | Male |
| Height: | 6 ft (1.854 m) |
| Profession: | Singer, Record producer, Songwriter, Singer-songwriter, Music Video Director, Actor, Musician, Music executive, Multi-instrumentalist, Rapper |
Why is R Kelly so well-known?
With a three-decade-long catalogue, Kelly has sold more than 75 million records worldwide, making him one of the most popular musicians in the world and the most successful male R&B performer of the 1990s.
Is there a child between R. Kelly and Aaliyah?
Then, to avoid being charged for their connection with a minor, Kelly and Aaliyah wed secretly. Aaliyah had an abortion and the child was never born. The marriage was dissolved in 1995 by her parents. Up until Kelly’s passing in 2001, Aaliyah kept her distance.
Does R. Kelly compose all of his music?
R. Kelly, who has refuted all abuse claims made against him, has written and produced singles like “Bump N Grind” and “I Believe I Can Fly” on his own. When he was at his peak, the majority of musicians begged to collaborate with him. R.
What is R. Kelly’s biggest hit?
- 5. “ Same Girl” feat. Usher.
- 4. “ Ignition (Remix)”
- 3. “ Chapter 19” of Trapped in the Closet.
- 1. “ I Believe I Can Fly”