“You can’t just sprinkle a cockroach in a bowl of soup and expect the jury to say, ‘Oh, this must be Kelly’s soup,'” Bonjean said.
The prosecution rested its case on Friday after nearly three weeks of testimony from 48 witnesses. The defense did not present any witnesses or evidence.
During her two-hour closing argument, Bonjean tried to poke holes in the government’s case, saying the women who testified against Kelly had ulterior motives and were not credible. She also said Kelly was being targeted because he is a famous black man.
Bonjean argued that the government had failed to prove Kelly engaged in any illegal activity, let alone that he did so “knowingly” as required by the charges.
“They don’t have enough evidence to meet their burden,” she said. “They don’t have R. Kelly on tape saying, ‘I’m going to engage in illegal activity.'”
The jury began deliberating Friday afternoon and will resume Monday morning. Kelly faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted of all charges.
