

On Tuesday, Charles Freeman informed a wild story to jurors about how R. Kelly and his associates allegedly agreed to pay him as much as 1,000,000 {dollars} within the early 2000s to search out videotapes of the R&B singer sexually assaulting a younger teen woman.
However that account got here below withering scrutiny inside minutes of cross-examination starting Wednesday, with an legal professional for Kelly’s co-defendant, Derrel McDavid, portray Freeman as a liar and opportunist who has given various contradicting accounts concerning the conspiracy through the years.
“Individuals who lie, individuals who cheat, individuals who make the most of others for cash, these are folks whose phrase is tough to belief, agreed?” Brindley requested pointedly on the outset of his questioning. Freeman stated, “Agreed.”
“Have you ever ever lied below oath about videotapes linked to Robert Kelly?” Brindley requested.
After Freeman stated no, Brindley replied, “We’re gonna come again to that Mr. Freeman. I would like you to recollect what you stated, OK?”
Regardless of the contentious nature of the questioning, Freeman has saved a smile on his face on the witness stand. typically chuckling and sipping from a bottle of iced tea. It appeared like he smiled and received calmer as Brindley grew extra pissed off
Brindley started cross along with his arms folded calmly in entrance of him, however shortly grew extra animated, pointing into the air for emphasis
The jurors seem like paying shut consideration. Typically, when asking his most pointed questions, Brindley has appeared out at jurors seated within the courtroom gallery — not at Freeman.
Brindley has to this point spent most if his time questioning Freeman about his February 2019 sworn assertion to a Cook dinner County grand jury, which stated he’d “discovered who had taken the tape by calling a few of Rob’s staff who heard {that a} man had a videotape and was exhibiting it to folks in Atlanta.”
Freeman informed the jury in Kelly’s trial on Tuesday, nonetheless, that it was McDavid who’d given him the title of the particular person with the tape.
Brindley has been animated in his questioning, typically interrupting Freeman as he tries to clarify the discrepancies. At one level, Brindley stopped him and stated, “You perceive that what you’re saying doesn’t make any sense, sir?”
“Sure, it does,” Freeman stated.
“It does to you,” Brindley shot again.
Earlier on, Brindley apparently caught Freeman smiling. “Is that this humorous?” he requested the witness. “Are you having a superb time?”
Brindley then requested Freeman if he was bothered that he’s held onto alleged little one pornography for 20 years. Freeman stated he wasn’t.
“You’re not upset for what you’ve accomplished?” Brindley shouted, which was adopted by objections by prosecutors.
Freeman who was colourful and free on direct examination on Tuesday, is a key witness to the guts of the indictment alleging there was a conspiracy to cowl up sexual misconduct by Kelly. Protection attorneys have described him in opening statements final week as a con man, extortionist and felony.

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Even U.S. District Choose Harry Leinenweber, 85, who has been on the federal bench for practically 40 years, quipped on Tuesday he was “trying ahead” to the protection questioning.
Kelly, 55, is charged with 13 counts of manufacturing of kid pornography, conspiracy to supply little one pornography and conspiracy to impede justice.
Additionally on trial are McDavid and one other affiliate, Milton “June” Brown, who, in response to the indictment, schemed to purchase again incriminating intercourse tapes that had been taken from Kelly’s assortment and conceal years of alleged sexual abuse of underage women.
Freeman testified Tuesday that he was paid a whole lot of 1000’s of {dollars} through the years in alternate for getting at the least a type of incriminating tapes again.
The plot as described by Freeman spanned nearly a decade, and unfolded in cities from Chicago to Kansas Metropolis and Atlanta, at Kelly’s music studio, live performance venues and even the singer’s sprawling Olympia Fields mansion, the place Freeman stated he was informed to strip bare and get in a pool to show he wasn’t carrying a wire.
Freeman is testifying below an immunity settlement from prosecutors. In one in all his extra memorable statements on the witness stand Tuesday, Freeman stated he didn’t inform the police concerning the little one pornography he’d recovered “as a result of the police wasn’t going to pay me 1,000,000 {dollars}.”