CHICAGO (AP) — The protection for R. Kelly and two co-defendants rested Friday on the R&B singer’s trial on expenses of trial-fixing, youngster pornography and attractive minors for intercourse, with closing arguments and the beginning of jury deliberations scheduled for early subsequent week.

Minutes earlier than resting, Kelly co-defendant and ex-business supervisor Derrell McDavid ended three days on the stand. He testified for practically two days that he had believed Kelly when he denied abusing minors — then stated he began having doubts about Kelly’s believability in the course of the trial that began final month.

Kelly and McDavid are charged with fixing Kelly’s 2008 state youngster pornography trial — at which Kelly was acquitted — by threatening witnesses and concealing video proof. Each additionally face youngster pornography expenses. A 3rd co-defendant, Kelly affiliate Milton Brown, is accused of receiving youngster pornography.

Prosecutors usually get an opportunity to name witnesses in a rebuttal of the protection case. However once they advised Decide Harry Leinenweber on Friday that they wanted a while to organize, he stated there can be no rebuttal and the case would go straight to closing arguments Monday morning.

McDavid was the one one of many three defendants to testify in his personal behalf.

Kelly, 55, already was sentenced to 30 years in jail in June after a separate federal trial in New York.

Identified for his smash hit “I Consider I Can Fly” and for sex-infused songs corresponding to “Bump n’ Grind,” Kelly offered tens of millions of albums even after allegations of sexual misconduct started circulating within the Nineties. Widespread outrage emerged after the #MeToo reckoning and the 2019 docuseries “Surviving R. Kelly.”

Throughout her cross-examination of McDavid, prosecutor Jeannice Appenteng sought to solid doubt on his testimony that, all by way of the 2000s, he was unaware that the sexual abuse allegations may need some credence.

Throughout Kelly’s monthlong trial in 2008, which McDavid attended, state prosecutors performed a 30-minute, sexually specific video dozens of occasions on giant screens all through the courtroom. Prosecutors stated it confirmed Kelly abusing a 14-year-old woman, “Jane.”

McDavid initially stated he appeared away each time the video was performed however later conceded that he “glanced backwards and forwards” at it, although not lengthy sufficient to completely assess the content material.

Appenteng additionally questioned McDavid about his declare that he wasn’t at a 2001 resort room assembly with Jane and her dad and mom, the place authorities witnesses stated Kelly admitted having intercourse with Jane, who regarded Kelly as her godfather.

McDavid testified that he drove to the resort however remained exterior in his automobile. “It was delicate,” he added.

“It was delicate,” the prosecutor shot again, “as a result of Kelly admits (on the assembly) … he’s having intercourse along with his goddaughter.”

On Thursday, McDavid additionally denied intimidating anybody main as much as the 2008 trial. His lawyer requested if he ever threatened to kill Kelly’s ex-girlfriend Lisa Van Allen for having stolen a intercourse video from Kelly and for not being forthcoming about it, as she testified earlier.

“I’m an accountant. No,” he stated.

At occasions, McDavid sounded extra like a authorities witness.

In a sudden shift on the finish of his second day of testimony Thursday, he expressed doubts about Kelly’s insistence within the 2000s that he by no means sexually abused minors.

Requested by his personal lawyer, Beau Brindley, if he was in “a distinct place” to evaluate allegations towards Kelly after sitting by way of authorities testimony by 4 Kelly accusers, together with Jane, McDavid responded: “Sure, I’m.”

“The final (few) weeks … I’ve discovered quite a bit … that I had no concept about in 2008,” added McDavid, who beforehand had testified that he as soon as noticed Kelly as a son.

McDavid’s testimony might lend credence to the fees Kelly alone faces — 5 counts of attractive minor ladies for intercourse, one rely every for 5 accusers.

Decide Leinenweber repeatedly rejected requests from Kelly’s protection staff that he be tried alone as a result of his and McDavid’s pursuits would battle at a joint trial.

The continuing trial in Kelly’s hometown is, in methods , a do-over of the 2008 trial. The one video was on the coronary heart of that trial and can also be in proof on the present trial.

Jane, then an grownup, didn’t testify at that 2008 trial, which jurors cited as a cause they couldn’t convict Kelly. She testified on the present trial that she was the individual in that video. She additionally stated Kelly sexually abused her lots of of occasions beginning when she was 14.