Earlier than his protection briefly offered its case, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs spoke brazenly within the courthouse for the primary time in weeks. In week seven, Diddy lastly answered the burning query that trial watchers have been asking. Will he testify? That reply is not any. And amid giving affirmation, Combs additionally threw Choose Arun Subramanian a lil’ praise. That got here after the decide reserved his resolution on a movement for acquittal on all costs.
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Combs, 55, has pleaded not responsible. He has remained incarcerated with out bail in a federal lockup in Brooklyn after a number of judges blocked his bail appeals final 12 months.
Recap Of Each Sides Resting Their Case
In the present day, the prosecution rested after greater than six weeks of proof presentation towards the hip-hop maven. In a routine transfer after prosecutors relaxation at legal trials, Combs’ attorneys made arguments to toss out the costs. They claimed the costs weren’t confirmed. Choose Arun Subramanian stated he’ll rule at a later date. Later within the afternoon, the protection rested with out calling any witnesses. Compared, prosecutors have known as 34 witnesses to attempt to show intercourse trafficking and racketeering conspiracy costs that resulted in Combs’ September arrest.
Nonetheless, the protection says prosecutors didn’t show these costs or that Diddy’s two ex-girlfriends felt coerced into marathon intercourse occasions with male intercourse staff. As a substitute, protection attorneys say the “freak-offs” or “lodge nights” had been consensual sexual encounters per the swingers life-style.
Diddy Says THIS To The Trial Choose
For context, it’s customary observe at federal legal trials for the decide to instantly query the defendant about whether or not to testify. This ensures that the defendant is aware of it’s his resolution, no matter what his attorneys have instructed him. When Subramanian questioned Combs after the prosecutors rested, the decide requested him how he was doing.
“I’m doing nice, your honor,” the Unhealthy Boy Leisure founder answered, earlier than volunteering a praise to the decide earlier than one other query could possibly be posed. “I wish to let you know thanks, you’re doing a wonderful job,” Combs stated. The decide responded, “Thanks, I admire it.”
Combs stated he “completely” mentioned the matter together with his attorneys earlier than deciding to not testify. “That’s my resolution, your honor,” Combs stated, including: “That’s solely my resolution.” Prodded by the decide, he clarified additional: “I imply, it’s my resolution with my attorneys. … My resolution to make. I’m making it.”
Extra Particulars About The Final 7 Weeks Of Trial
Because the trial started in early Might, authorities witnesses have included former staff of Combs’ firms. Nonetheless, a lot of the proof has come from the testimony of two former girlfriends: Casandra “Cassie” Ventura and an web character who testified beneath the pseudonym “Jane.”
Ventura testified for 4 days throughout the trial’s first week. The 38-year-old stated she felt pressured to have interaction in a whole bunch of “freak offs” as a result of the encounters would allow her to be intimate with Combs after performing sexually with male intercourse staff. He allegedly watched them slather each other with child oil and typically filmed the encounters.
In the meantime, Jane testified for six days concerning the sexual performances she labeled “lodge nights.” She stated she was placing them into perspective after starting remedy three months in the past. She stated she felt coerced into participating in them as lately as final August, however did so as a result of she cherished and nonetheless loves Combs. Ventura was in a relationship with Combs from 2007 to 2018, whereas Jane was incessantly with him from 2021 till his arrest. The arrest canceled her plan to satisfy him on the New York lodge the place feds took him into custody.
Protection attorneys questioned the witnesses all through the trial to make their case for exoneration. A number of of them testified reluctantly or solely after they had been granted immunity from any crimes they might have dedicated.
No Testimony, However Sure To
Combs has been energetic in his protection, writing notes to his attorneys and typically serving to them resolve when to cease questioning a witness. As soon as, the decide known as him for nodding enthusiastically towards jurors throughout a profitable stretch of cross-examination by considered one of his attorneys. Prosecutors complained that his gestures had been a type of testifying with out being topic to cross-examination. The decide warned he may exclude Diddy from his trial if it occurred once more.
Previously week, prosecutors and protection attorneys have proven jurors over 40 minutes of recordings Combs fabricated from the “freak offs” or “lodge nights.” A number of jurors sometimes appeared squeamish as they seen and listened to audio of the encounters, however most didn’t appear to react.
In her opening assertion, Geragos had known as the movies “highly effective proof that the sexual conduct on this case was consensual and never based mostly on coercion.” Closing arguments had been scheduled for Thursday. Maintain
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Related Press Workers Michael R. Sisak and Larry Neumeister contributed to this report by way of AP Newsroom.
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