Thread by @innercitypress

OK - trial of #RKelly "associate" Don Russell coming to close, US says it will rest its case by lunch, then it's up to the defense. Inner City Press is covering the trial (& comparing R. Kelly & Epstein patreon.com/posts/69379249 and will live tweet, thread below

https://twitter.com/innercitypress/status/1550098401815150592

US' next witness is a former Neuehouse employee.
AUSA Pomerantz: What did you do there?
Witness: Payroll and staffing. I managed 15 people.
AUSA: Did you evacuate an event?
Witness: Yes, Surviving R. Kelly screening.

AUSA: What did you observe from Adrian [Krasniqi]'s demeanor after he got the call about the gun?
Witness: It was chaos. I was heading downstairs. We had two security guards. I first told the crowd it was a fire alarm, so people wouldn't panic

AUSA: Did the police show up?
Witness: Yes.
AUSA: Tell the jurors how you felt.
Witness: It was shocking. They said there was someone with a gun.
AUSA: No further questions.
Judge Gardephe: Cross examination.

Freedman: I represent Mr. Russell. You've never met him, right?
Witness: I have not.
Freedman: You weren't responsible for answering the phones or checking emails, right?
Witness: We have different categories of emails.

[Very short cross, and direct]
AUSA David: The government calls Andrew Peterson, for cell site analysis.
AUSA: Does your background as a radio engineer help with your cell site analysis?
Peterson: It does.

AUSA: How is the signal carried from the cell site to the cell phone?
Peterson: Through the cell tower.
AUSA: And in a dense environment like Chicago, how much can you pinpoint?
Peterson: There's rarely a direct line of sight.

AUSA: From which providers did you review records?
Peterson: T-Mobile & Verizon.
AUSA: What does this reflect?
Peterson: Red lines show the cell site locations.
AUSA: Did the US ask you to look at a particular time?
Peterson: Dec 4, 2018, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm

AUSA: And what property is this?
Peterson: 1828 South Millard Avenue, Chicago.
[Fast research links it to June Barrett: mapquest.com/us/illinois/ju…

Cross examination:
Freedman: Good morning, Mr. Peterson.
Peterson: I can't hear you well.
Freedman: I swear I haven't gotten taller since yesterday.

Freedman: The goverment didn't ask you to look at the Neuehouse House call log screens?
Peterson: They didn't.
Freedman: No further questions.
Next US witness is Julia Gutierrez, a paralegal @SDNYLIVE.
AUSA: Are you familiar with Google Maps?
Gutierrez: Yes.

AUSA Pomerantz: Was this the first call to Neuehouse from any of Donnell Russell's 3 phones?
Gutierrez: Yes, that was the first one.
AUSA: Did you search Govt Exhibit 302 for the last call?
Gutierrez: Yes, it was at 7:38 pm.

AUSA: Did you see the message, since deleted, to Kash Jones, "the cops may be arriving shortly, deleted those messages"?
Gutierrez: Yes.
AUSA Pomerantz: No further questions.
Judge Gardephe: Any more US witnesses?
AUSA Davis: The US rests.
Judge: Morning break.

Jury leaves.
Judge Gardephe: Mr. Freedman, I'll hear your motion.
Freedman: There is no evidence that Mr. Russell made the call. Mr. Krasniqi said it was a different voice, one "from Brooklyn."

AUSA Davis: The standard of Rule 29 is high, all evidence is viewed in the light most favorable to the government. The call records show that the defendant made the calls, there are his own admissions...

AUSA Davis: All calls from 7 pm to 7:51 pm were from Mr. Russell. And 7:51 is important - that's why Mr. Krasniqi called 911. And he said the threat was 10 minutes before.

AUSA Davis: He called Neuehouse nine times. It's for the jury to decide. On the conspiracy, Kash Jones and Russell worked together all day. He texts Kash, the cops may be coming. She replies, OK.

AUSA Davis: So it should be left to the jury.
Judge Gardephe: I will reserve decision. Mr. Freedman, is there going to be a defense case?
Freedman: No.
Judge Gardephe: Mr. Russell, have you talked with your lawyer about if you should testify?
Don Russell: Yes.

Judge Gardephe: And you have decided it is not in your interest to testify?
Donnell Russell: Yes.
Jduge Gardephe: OK, we'll take a break.
Thread will continue - watch this feed.

Jury enters.
Judge Gardephe: Mr. Freedman, any defense case?
Freedman: No.
Judge Gardephe: Jurors, I'm going to be excusing you for the rest of the day, to discuss the jury charge I'll give you tomorrow, before you deliberate. Don't discuss the case.

Jury leaves.
Judge Gardephe: Have the lawyers read my draft charge? I am going to add, Draw no inference from any question I posed to a witness. I do not intend to charge on aiding and abetting. There's no evidentiary foundation. ..

Freedman: I think there should be a change, to say the US must prove that Mr. Russell said the word, not "the words communicated by Mr. Russell." Because I'm contesting that he said them, not necessarily that they were said.

And by noon, the jury instruction is finalize.
Freedman: If they haven't decided by 5 pm tomorrow, can they stay later?
Judge Gardephe: I'll tell them that they can. We are adjourned.
Stories soon on InnerCityPress.com and patreon.com/MatthewRussell…