Sean “Diddy” Combs instructed the decide at his intercourse trafficking trial that he is doing an “excellent job” as he confirmed Tuesday that he received’t testify.
Combs made the remark to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian after being requested about testifying.
The query was posed by the Manhattan jurist after the prosecution rested following a greater than six-week-long presentation of proof towards the hip-hop maven. Later within the afternoon, the protection rested with out calling any witnesses.
In a routine prevalence after prosecutors relaxation at felony trials, Combs’ attorneys made arguments to toss out the costs, arguing the costs weren’t confirmed. The decide stated he’ll rule at a later date.
Prosecutors have referred to as 34 witnesses to attempt to show intercourse trafficking and racketeering conspiracy fees that resulted in Combs’ September arrest, together with two ex-girlfriends of Combs who testified they felt coerced into marathon intercourse occasions with male intercourse staff that had been referred to as “freak-offs” or “hotel nights.”
Defense attorneys, although, say they had been consensual sexual encounters in line with the swingers life-style.
Combs, 55, has pleaded not responsible and has remained incarcerated with out bail in a federal lockup in Brooklyn after a number of judges concluded final fall that he was a hazard to the neighborhood.
It is normal observe at federal felony trials for the decide to immediately query the defendant concerning the resolution to testify or not, partially to make sure that the defendant is aware of it’s his resolution, no matter what his attorneys have instructed him.
When it got here time for Subramanian to query Combs after prosecutors rested, the decide requested him how he is doing.
“I’m doing great, your honor,” the Bad Boy Entertainment founder answered, earlier than volunteering a praise to the decide earlier than one other query might be posed.
“I wish to inform you thanks, you’re doing a superb job,” Combs stated.
Combs stated he “thoroughly” mentioned the matter along with his attorneys earlier than deciding to not testify.
“That is my decision, your honor,” Combs stated, including: “That is solely my decision.”
Prodded by the decide, he clarified additional: “I mean, it’s my decision with my lawyers. … My decision to make. I’m making it.”
Since the trial started in early May, authorities witnesses have included former staff of Combs’ firms, however the bulk of its proof has come from the testimony of two former girlfriends: Casandra “Cassie” Ventura and a mannequin and web persona identified to jurors solely by the pseudonym “Jane.”
Ventura, 38, testified for 4 days throughout the trial’s first week, saying she felt pressured to have interaction in a whole lot of “freak offs” as a result of the encounters would allow her to be intimate with Combs after performing sexually with male intercourse staff whereas he watched them slather each other with child oil and typically filmed the encounters.
Jane testified for six days concerning the sexual performances she labeled “hotel nights,” saying that she was placing them into perspective after starting remedy three months in the past. She stated she felt coerced into partaking in them as just lately as final August, however did so as a result of she beloved 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, which canceled her plan to satisfy him on the New York resort the place he was taken into custody.
The Associated Press doesn’t typically establish individuals who say they’re victims of sexual abuse except they arrive ahead publicly, as Cassie has achieved.
Throughout the trial, protection attorneys have made their case for exoneration by their questioning of witnesses, together with a number of who testified reluctantly or solely after they had been granted immunity from any crimes they might have dedicated.
Combs has been energetic in his protection, writing notes to his attorneys and typically serving to them resolve when to cease questioning a witness.
He was admonished as soon as by the decide 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 that he might be excluded from his trial if it occurred once more.
In the previous week, prosecutors and protection attorneys have proven jurors over 40 minutes of recordings Combs manufactured from the “freak offs” or “hotel nights.”
Several jurors often appeared squeamish as they considered and listened to audio of the encounters, however most didn’t appear to react.
In her opening assertion, Geragos had referred to as the movies “powerful evidence that the sexual conduct in this case was consensual and not based on coercion.”
Closing arguments had been scheduled for Thursday.
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