Rapper gets jail for kicking fan at concert

BARTOW — A jury took less than two hours to find a rapper guilty on Wednesday of kicking a woman during a performance at a Lakeland nightclub in 2015. Polk County Judge Sharon Franklin sentenced Kevin Gates to 180 days in jail — three times more than prosecutors had requested for the misdemeanor battery conviction. He was represented by Jose Baez, of Orlando, who gained fame while defending Casey Anthony. Gates, 30, was charged with battery in August 2015 after Lakeland police said he kicked Miranda Dixon, 18, at Rumors while he was performing in front of a packed crowd. Gates told jurors that he was attempting to protect himself when he kicked into the crowd after being touched twice by Dixon, now 19. Because of the lights on stage, Gates said that he did not know whether he was kicking a man or woman. Baez would not comment, saying his client had not authorized him to speak to the media.