May 30, 2008 6:09 pm US/Central
Details Emerge On Kelly Trial Prosecution Witness
Judge Says Sun-Times Must Testify At Kelly Trial
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
A Chicago Sun-Times reporter must testify at R. Kelly's child pornography trial, Judge Vincent Gaughan ruled Friday morning.
The defense wants to call Jim DeRogatis to ask how he got a sex tape in 2002 that's now the center of the trial.
The judge rejected arguments from a lawyer for the Sun-Times that DeRogatis' actions should be privileged under the First Amendment. The attorney also says Kelly's lawyers want to create a "chilling effect" on reporters covering the R&B star.
But a Kelly attorney countered that reporters' privilege only protects them from identifying sources.
CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker reports more details are coming out about the prosecution's star witness, a young mother from Atlanta, and her connection to Kelly.
A close viewing of Kelly's music video for "I Wish" reveals the prosecution witness Lisa Van Allen. The 27-year-old single mother sits behind the singer, braiding his hair.
But she could also help end his musical career. Van Allen is scheduled to testify in the singer's child pornography trial on Monday.
Her testimony could hurt her former friend because according to news reports, Van Allen will tell the jury that she had a sexual threesome with Kelly and the young female in the video who is at the heart of Kelly's trial.
But unlike other witnesses who could only describe the girl's face, Van Allen is expected to testify she's seen the girl's body and she reportedly says the girl is underage.
The Chicago Tribune reports that Van Allen met Kelly when she was 17 years old and had a relationship with him from 1998 to 2005, even though at the time he was married with children.
Currently, Van Allen is four months pregnant and lives with her fiancé in Atlanta.
Van Allen's former boyfriend Damon Pryor, the defense's surprise witness, is expected to offer information to attempt to discredit Van Allen. He is not scheduled to testify until sometime next week.
Also Friday, an attorney not connected to the trial got kicked out of the court house. Judge Gaughan had deputies show him the door after he tried to hand Kelly a CS of his band.
CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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