LOS ANGELES (AP) – The defense lawyer for a man charged with stalking Kendall Jenner urged jurors not to be star struck by the model and reality television star and acquit his client, who he said posed her no harm.
Attorney Taylor Shramo said a prosecutor had not proven that Shavaughn McKenzie maliciously intended to cause Jenner fear when he followed her into the driveway of her secluded Hollywood Hills home in August.
He said McKenzie, a 25-year-old transient from Loxahatchee, Florida, simply wanted to talk to Jenner and never threatened her. Shramo displayed numerous statements from McKenzie to police in which he told them he simply wanted to talk to her and he considered her a friend.
Jenner testified last week that she did not know McKenzie and was terrified when she saw him standing in her driveway after she returned home the night of Aug. 14. A prosecutor said McKenzie tried repeatedly over a 15-month period to meet Jenner, including twice running to her car outside her former residence.
Shramo acknowledged Jenner was terrified of his client, but said that wasn’t enough for jurors to convict him of stalking and trespassing charges. He accused Deputy City Attorney Alex Perez of trying to play up Jenner’s celebrity status to gain a conviction.