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"American Idol hopeful turned Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson took the stand in a Chicago courtroom Monday, to testify against the man accused of killing her mother, brother and seven-year-old nephew in October 2008. Hudson was the first witness called to the prosecution. She spoke to the jury for nearly half an hour, holding back tears throughout the emotional testimony, .   The man accused is 30-year-old William Balfour, who was married to Hudson&amp;#039;s sister, Julia. Prosecutors say Balfour acted out of spite, when Julia asked him for a divorce.  During her testimony, Hudson explained that she had known Balfour since middle school.  that Hudson never liked Balfour and told her sister not to marry him. Julia Hudson also testified on Monday, saying that Balfour threatened her and the family if she left him.   Since there are no surviving witnesses to the murders, the prosecutors are going to have to provide hard evidence to prove their case. Cook County assistant public defender Amy Thompson told the court that no DNA evidence was found on the murder weapon, according to .    If convicted, Balfour could face a lifetime prison sentence.  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.womansday.com/life/news/a46938/daily-buzz-jennifer-hudson-testifies/>