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CHICAGO (Fox 32 News) - R. Kelly's former business manager was back in court Thursday where a judge decided he should remain free on bond.
Outside the courtroom, Derrel McDavid's attorneys said that McDavid had no dealings with Kelly for the last five years, and that could help McDavid’s case.
“It's our intention to take this to trial and get Mr. McDavid fully vindicated,” said defense attorney Vadim Glozman.
Glozman represents McDavid, who managed R. Kelly's career until 2014. McDavid is accused of helping the R&B superstar pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in hush money to Kelly's alleged victims -- charges which McDavid denies.
“These charges against mister mcdavid, they are sensationalized, and it's kind of him being associated with Robert Kelly for so long,” Glozman said.
Prosecutors say those hush money payments constitute obstruction of justice. The crime's got a five-year statute of limitations. Defense lawyers may try to prove that there's only one alleged payment from Kelly to McDavid within the last five years, and it came from a lawsuit where McDavid claimed the singer owed him $1.3 million. Absent that payment, defense lawyers could say, there's no criminal activity within the past five years.
“It's a completely separate matter, and they did have a falling out, and they haven't had a professional relationship in over five years,” Glozman said.
While McDavid remains free on bond, R. Kelly remains locked up after a judge ruled earlier this week that he was too likely to flee and a danger to the community.
The third defendant in the case, former Kelly employee Milton Brown, makes his first appearance in a Chicago courtroom Friday.