Rapper Kevin Gates Found Guilty Of Kicking Female Fan In Florida

Rapper Kevin Gates (real name Kevin Jerome Gilyard) was sentenced to 180 days in jail after being convicted of battery for kicking a female fan last year.

A jury of six white women found Gates guilty Wednesday after just two hours of deliberation, Fox 13 reported.

The Baton Rouge rapper was charged with battery in September 2015 after kicking 19-year-old Miranda Dixon in the stomach and chest during a performance at Rumors Night Club in Lakeland, Florida. A video of the attack went viral after the incident.

Gates’ lawyer Jose Baez, who famously represented Casey Anthony, had previously attempted to have the charges dropped under the Stand Your Ground defense, according to WFLA, saying that the rapper kicked Dixon after she continually grabbed his pants.

In court, Gates claimed that it was a warning.

Baez also accused Dixon of lying to get money, which she would not be entitled to if she weren’t injured. She claims Gates kicked her so hard that she fell backward and blacked out. Dixon also complained later of stomach pain.

“Her credibility is to be questioned and you will not be able to beyond and to the exclusion of every reasonable doubt in this case believe her and that is why you should enter a verdict of not guilty in this case,” Baez said, according to Fox 13.

Gates was sentenced to 180 days in a Polk County jail and one year probation, three times what prosecutors asked for from the judge.

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