The likelihood that music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs would possibly testify at his federal intercourse trafficking trial all however vanished Tuesday after his lawyer predicted a protection presentation lasting as little as two days and a decide mentioned jurors might start deliberations as early as subsequent week.
Legal professional Marc Agnifilo provided the trace when Decide Arun Subramanian requested him for an estimate on the size of the protection case, and the lawyer mentioned their presentation might final lower than two days — however no more than 5.
If Combs testified, it was probably his testimony would take longer than every week. Testimony by two of his former girlfriends consumed two of the trial’s six weeks.
Combs, 55, has pleaded not responsible to intercourse trafficking and racketeering conspiracy prices. He has been jailed at a federal lockup in Brooklyn since his September arrest at a Manhattan resort.
Assistant U.S. Legal professional Maurene Comey mentioned prosecutors would relaxation as early as Wednesday and no later than Friday morning.
The estimates had been supplied Tuesday after the irate decide scolded prosecutors and protection attorneys, saying details about a closed court docket continuing involving a juror final Friday had leaked to a media outlet.
The decide mentioned he believed somebody who was on the sealed court docket listening to violated his secrecy order. Sooner or later, Subramanian mentioned, he would maintain Comey and Agnifilo liable for any slipups, and any violations of his orders might end in prison contempt penalties “at the most extreme level.”
“This is the only warning I will give,” he mentioned.
In the meantime, prosecutors resumed displaying jurors proof Tuesday of textual content messages, telephone calls, resort information to help prices that Combs oversaw a racketeering conspiracy that utilized his staff and associates and his stature within the hip-hop trade to assist him management and abuse girls, together with two former girlfriends.
Ex-girlfriends Casandra “ Cassie ” Ventura and a lady who testified below the pseudonym “ Jane ” informed jurors that Combs used threats and financial incentives to coerce them into frequent multi-day intercourse marathons the place Combs watched, directed and generally filmed them participating with male intercourse employees.
Protection attorneys say prosecutors had been making an attempt to criminalize consenting intercourse between adults by concentrating on Combs.
Ventura’s relationship with Combs lasted from 2007 to 2018 whereas Jane dated him from 2021 till his arrest final fall.
