The judge overseeing R. Kelly's federal child pornography trial indicated on Thursday that he will make a decision about the requests of the disgraced R&B singer and his two co-defendants to be cleared of all charges before the case goes to the jury.
The petitions for judgment of acquittal, which were submitted on Tuesday following the conclusion of the prosecution's case, are typical in criminal proceedings and virtually invariably rejected. They are intended to at the very least preserve issues for a potential appeal in the future.
Prosecutors Rest Case at R. Kelly's Federal Trial
Before the motions were argued on Wednesday, US District Judge Harry Leinenweber stated that he would defer making a decision because of a number of factors that, in his opinion, deserve attention. All eyes will be on the defendants, who are slated to start presenting their arguments on Thursday, once the motions have been decided.
The former lead prosecutor on the case, Angel Krull, who exchanged emails with the star witness that defense attorneys claimed were inappropriate, disgraced lawyer Michael Avenatti, former Chicago Sun-Times music critic Jim DeRogatis, and other individuals have all been mentioned as potential witnesses by the defense.
Kelly's attorney Jennifer Bonjean informed the judge on Wednesday that she intended to call record company executive Cathy Carroll. Carroll is said to have introduced one of Kelly's alleged minor victims to the singer when the teen worked as an intern for her in the late 1990s, according to testimony.
Derrel McDavid, Kelly's former business manager, will testify on his own behalf. His attorneys assured the jury in their opening statement. Reporters will be able to hear testimony from his attorney on Tuesday that will be considerable.
While Kelly's lawyers have remained silent, it would seem highly unlikely given the gravity of the accusations and the possibility of being subjected to cross-examination if the singer were to testify, as per Chicago Tribune.
Fourth Victim Testifies Against R. Kelly
A fourth lady testified about the singer sexually abusing her as a young girl on the witness stand. The lady, who appeared in court under the alias "Nia," claimed to have been just 15 years old when she first spoke with R.Kelly while begging for his autograph in an Atlanta mall. She also claimed to have lied to R.Kelly about her age during a subsequent phone contact.
Later, Nia described two sexual meetings she had with R.Kelly in 1996, one at a motel when he was on tour in Minnesota and the second at his recording studio in Chicago.
She claimed that R. Kelly invited her to meet him during his concert tour in Minnesota when he was 15 years old and had his staff organize her transportation from Atlanta. Nia claimed she told her mother she would be spending the weekend with a friend.
Nia testified to the jury that R. Kelly had visited her in her hotel room the morning following the concert, kissed her once on the lips, instructed her to remove her clothes, and then proceeded to touch and kiss her breasts as she walked toward him. She claimed that before leaving, he masturbated.
When R. Kelly spent the following summer in Chicago with her family, the second incident happened in her music studio. She claimed to have brought her cousins with her to the studio, one of whom would later testify that she was there to protect Nia, but during the brief time Nia was alone herself with Kelly, she said he kissed and touched her inappropriately.
R. Kelly was confronted by three additional accusers in court. The third week of Kelly's federal trial in Chicago ended with the prosecution resting their case on Tuesday.
In his most recent trial, R. Kelly is charged with making movies of child sexual abuse and attempting to retrieve evidence that could show he sexually assaulted victims who were minors. According to Rolling Stone, two of them, Pauline and Tracy, were shielded by aliases as they detailed their accusations on Monday.
Pauline claimed that she was 14 when she was brought to Kelly's house by her friend Jane, who testified earlier this month that R. Kelly had assaulted her hundreds of times before she was 18. Pauline testified that she entered the room to find Kelly .
Kelly stated he was looking for bruises on her body in front of her friend, who was only wearing a bathing suit.
She claimed that before the three of them engaged in oral intercourse and sexual caressing, Kelly had persuaded the two females to kiss, and that this wasn't a unique occasion. Pauline claimed that Kelly reportedly provided them with alcohol during these encounters, which took place at one of his residences, at his Chicago Trax recording studio, and on his tour bus across several states. She claimed that when she was 15, Kelly had intercourse with her.
Tracy claimed that when she first met Kelly in 1999, she was a 16-year-old record company intern. She claimed that after being invited to his studio, she initially refused down his advances but later went back with her friend. Before they started kissing, Tracy claimed she informed Kelly she was 16 years old, CBS News reported.
Related Article : R. Kelly Chicago Trial: Jury Views 17 Video Clips Showing Singer's Sexual Abuse Act, Star Witness Completes Testimony
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