CHICAGO — The defense has rested in the federal trial of R&B singer R. Kelly and two former associates, setting the stage for closing arguments and a possible verdict next week.
Lawyers for Kelly, his former business associate Derrel McDavid, and ex-employee Milton “June” Brown each rested after McDavid concluded more than 14 hours of testimony over the past three days. Prosecutors were still deciding whether to put on rebuttal witnesses, but the judge has said the trial will conclude next week either way.
The quick end to the evidence phase of the case came after prosecutors spent hours on cross-examination Friday seeking to portray McDavid as too much of an insider to ever have been ignorant of Kelly’s true actions — and indicated that he had a significant financial interest in making sure Kelly’s reputation stayed clean.
