The prosecution began closing arguments at the R. Kelly trial on Wednesday, saying he “used lies, manipulation, threats, and physical abuse to dominate his victims”
Not that prosecutors have an easy task; they’re effectively rebuilding a mountain of evidence in just a few hours to make one final argument so it stays fresh in the jurors’ minds for their final deliberation. Geddes’ comments were an avalanche of names, dates, exhibits, floor-plans, and phone records.
The most straightforward arguments came earlier, before the prosecution burrowed into minutiae. The point of bringing the racketeering charge, Geddes noted, was that “when someone commits a crime as part of a group, he’s more powerful, more dangerous.” Kelly was “more than just a part of an enterprise,” she asserted. “He was a leader, and he used the others to achieve his goal.”
To help illustrate the extent of Kelly’s enterprise, the prosecution prepared an old-fashioned visual aid: A board full of photos — featuring the singer’s business managers, personal assistants, runners, security personnel, drivers, and more — arranged with Kelly at the center.
Geddes then returned to those alleged crimes, one by one, accusing Kelly of “groom[ing] girls and boys for sexual activity despite the fact that they were too young to consent.” The first five counts for which she worked to establish proof on Wednesday related to bribery , child pornography , secret confinement , crossing state lines for illegal sexual activity , and coercion of a minor into illegal sexual activity .
Earlier in the week, the judge said she hoped to hand the case to the jury by Thursday, though it’s hard to imagine this happening if the prosecution moves at the same pace as it finishes its summary. The defense still has to present its closing arguments as well.
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