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
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…

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More from @innercitypress

Jul 22
OK - now in #RKelly "associate" Donnell Russell's trial for allegedly calling in gun threat to Neuehouse screening of Surviving R. Kelly, closing arguments. Inner City Press will live tweet them, thread below
Jury entering!
Judge Gardephe: Now the closing argument of the govdernment.
Assistant US Attorney Davis: It is time to hold the defendant accountable for what he did. Not in dispute is that the defendant wanted to stop the screening that night
[US plays audio of Don Russell's "public interview" admitting he was on the phone all day with Neuehouse].
AUSA Davis: It is only not in dispute that the defendant was in contact all day with Kash Jones. And his home address in Chicago, not in dispute.
Read 20 tweets
Jul 21
OK- now in multi-defendant drug case US v Haxhaj, et al, gallery half full, lady with United Nations bag. Inner City Press is covering the case
innercitypress.com/sdny81afaillah… and will live tweet, threadette below
Judge criticizes Murray Richman's associate for Richman's non presence. One defense lawyer is in the gallery with a wireless mic
One defendant says he doesn't have a copy of the superseding indictment. Now copies are passed to the defendants shackled in jury box; Marshals says they can take the copies with them back to jail
Read 4 tweets
Jul 21
OK - now will live tweet below a hearing in Giuffre v. Alan Dershowitz, civil case heavy with #GhislaineMaxwell (sentenced to 20 years, appealing) & #JeffreyEpstein (compared here with... #RKelly, whose "associate" Don Russell is on trial: matthewrussellleeicp.substack.com/p/r-kelly-and-…
Judge Preska: Good morning! Sorry to start late, I had a sentencing. I suggest we do the protective order things at the end, and we'll seal it. Have you spoken about the impeachment issue?
Counsel: We were unable to reach agreement.
Counsel: Impeachment is not limited to initial disclosures but applies equally to pre-trial disclosures. By and large, impeachment material was produced.
Howard Cooper: I had laptop problems... This is a first for me, to have a line in a confidential letter cited
Read 6 tweets
Jul 20
OK - Trial of #RKelly "associate" Donnell Russell set to kick off with oral arguments, after 2-day jury selection. Yesterday Judge Gardephe kept out of evidence a text about "call me Daddy." Inner City Press is covering the case(s) & will live tweet, thread below
All rise!
Judge Gardephe: I understand the lawyers have an issue?
Assistant US Attorney: Yes, we have agreed on redactions.
Judge Gardephe: Do I understand we will hear testimony today from the person who received the call?
AUSA: Yes.
Opening arguments.
Assistant US Attorney: The defendant called and said someone had a gun and would shoot up the theater. He wanted to shut down the show. You see, that show was a documentary about the defendant's boss, recording artist #RKelly.
Read 50 tweets
Jul 19
OK - in trial against #RKelly "associate" Donnell Russell for making gun threat to try to stop @LifetimeTV media screening of #SurvivingRKelly, jury selection continues, Day 2. Inner City Press is covering the trial and issue(s), and will live tweet, thread below
Judge Gardephe: The defendant Donnell Russell is charged with making an interstate threat. According to the government, Mr. Russell was the manager for #RKelly and conspired or agreed to convey threats to those attending to the Dec 4, 2018 screening
Judge Gardephe: Mr. Russell has pleaded not guilty, that's why we're having a trial. He's presumed innocent. The US must prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. This will be a short trial, once we get started. A week or less. We'll begin with follow up questions
Read 30 tweets
Jul 18
OK - now trial of #RKelly associate Donnell Russell @sdnylive, for alleged gun and other threats to stop / evacuate @lifetimetv screening of #SurvivingRKelly. innercitypress.com/edny39rkellyic… Inner City Press will live tweet, thread below
Judge Gardephe (to prospective jurors) Welcome to the Southern District of New York. You will be asked to fill out a questionnaire, if you are aware of #RKelly, and the documentary #SurvivingRKelly. Don't write on the back of any page. [This could take a while]
[We said it could take a while, and it will - prospective jurors have filled out the questionnaire and will return tomorrow. New thread then. For now, parties have agreed to tell jury that on 12/4/18, NeueHouse held a screening of #SurvivingRKelly, set to air 1/19
Read 50 tweets

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