Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial nears finish as questions on lacking witnesses linger

[ad_1] NEW Now you can hearken to Fox Information articles!

The federal government is anticipated to wrap up its case towards Sean "Diddy" Combs on Monday after greater than six weeks of testimony from plenty of witnesses.

Jury selection for the rapper's intercourse crimes trial started on Might 5, and the prosecution referred to as its final witness to the stand Friday after listening to Diddy's former assistant, alleged "drug mule" Brendan Paul, testify about his time employed by the Dangerous Boy Information founder.

Diddy's authorized crew, headed by Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos , initially indicated they would want upwards of two weeks to plead their case, however informed Choose Arun Subramanian final week that they can relaxation by Tuesday or Wednesday.

Regardless of the trial coming to a detailed, former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani admitted that lingering questions stay with the case, together with questions on lacking key witnesses.

DIDDY'S ALLEGED ‘DRUG MULE’ TESTIFIES EMPLOYEES MOVED LIKE ‘SEAL TEAM 6,’ USED COCAINE TO STAY AWAKE

Sean "Diddy" Combs' federal trial is nearing its conclusion following greater than six weeks of testimony. (Jane Rosenberg)

"What occurred to Gina, who was Sufferer 3 within the indictment? The federal government stated they have been unable to come up with her, and she or he didn't testify," Rahmani stated. "Was she afraid, embarrassed, paid off by Combs, or was there another excuse why she didn’t adjust to the subpoena? Regardless, it was a mistake by the prosecution to record her as a sufferer when they didn't have assurances that she would seem. They need to have identified Combs has the sources to threaten or pay witnesses to not testify and have deliberate accordingly."

There have been no allegations in courtroom that Diddy threatened or paid witnesses to not testify.

Rahmani additionally questioned why Diddy's chief of workers, Kristina "KK" Khorram, wasn't referred to as to testify. Brendan Paul testified Friday that KK "principally ran the enterprise."

In the course of the testimony of abstract witness Anaya Sankar, the jury was proven textual content messages between Diddy’s ex Cassie Ventura and KK dated Might 2, 2017. Cassie was telling KK that the "Final Evening" singer allegedly had locked the door and dragged her by her hair.

"What occurred to Gina, who was Sufferer 3 within the indictment? The federal government stated they have been unable to come up with her, and she or he didn't testify."

— Neama Rahmani DIDDY'S ALLEGED ‘DRUG MULE’ TAKES THE STAND WITH IMMUNITY DEAL; TRIAL REVEALS DARK SECRET

Extra textual content messages between Cassie and KK dated April 20, 2018, confirmed Cassie saying she will be able to’t take the violence and being kicked out of her own residence. KK responded, "I don’t know what else to say, however I’m right here…" Cassie then wrote, "I simply wish to keep targeted."

Diddy listened to testimony from an ex-girlfriend, who testified below the nickname Jane. (Jane Rosenberg)

Cassie, who was pregnant together with her third youngster whereas taking the stand, testified over the course of 4 days in Diddy's trial. (Jane Rosenberg)

The jury was then proven textual content messages between KK and Diddy’s more moderen ex-girlfriend, who testified under the pseudonym Jane. She alleged that Diddy had pressured her to have intercourse with male escorts throughout "lodge nights" and that often the intercourse session was recorded.

A textual content message despatched to KK from Jane was proven to the jury, which claimed Combs was threatening to launch the alleged intercourse tapes. Jane wrote, "You’re his righthand girl…perhaps he’ll hearken to you…" The message was despatched on Feb. 18, 2024.

"Many take into account her to be Combs’ Ghislaine Maxwell as a result of she is aware of the place the proverbial our bodies are buried," Rahmani informed Fox Information Digital. "Khorram was really concerned within the alleged intercourse and drug trafficking and will have been charged as a co-conspirator. The federal government ought to have leaned on her to flip towards her former boss. As a substitute, they gave her a move by merely studying her textual content messages into proof."

LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Rahmani questioned why Diddy's ex-girlfriends, together with Cassie, Mia and Jane, did not depart if they'd been sexually assaulted and trafficked.

"The federal government placed on professional Daybreak Hughes to elucidate the psychology of abuse, however that's the greatest query within the case," Rahmani admitted. "Did the victims keep as a result of they needed the cash and fame that got here with being Combs’ accomplice? In that case, did they consent to the ‘freak offs’ whereas they have been occurring?"

Cassie and Diddy dated for almost a decade earlier than ending their relationship in 2018. (Getty Photographs)

The U.S. Lawyer's Workplace supplied picture proof of alleged abuse Cassie Ventura endured. (SDNY)

"Was this rape, or actually remorse and resentment? I’m undecided prosecutors have totally answered this query and this is similar argument the protection raised with some success within the Harvey Weinstein retrial."

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

What the jury will resolve stays the most important query within the case. Attorney Nicole Blank Becker , who represents R. Kelly, informed Fox Information Digital that jurors, similar to anybody else, have a troublesome time separating feelings from prices.

"Once you hear concerning the horrible actions of P. Diddy, not solely right here, however you then see the actions on a video, and in some unspecified time in the future, the jury can be informed, ‘OK,’ maybe that it was a home violence, however that is not likely what that is about. It is about one thing greater," Becker stated. "The concept that the jurors will be capable of separate that of their thoughts is very unlikely, regardless that they are going to be informed to. And there is plenty of demonstrative proof on this case, is my understanding.

WATCH: SEAN ‘DIDDY’ COMBS ASSAULTS CASSIE VENTURA IN 2016 LOS ANGELES HOTEL INCIDENT

"My expertise after I was within the case with R. Kelly, these kinds of issues are sometimes used not solely to indicate what the federal government's attempting to deliver, present of their case, however it undoubtedly brings an emotional facet to a human, and typically that emotional half – It's totally troublesome to miss if you're again there as a juror."

"The concept that the jurors will be capable of separate that of their thoughts is very unlikely, regardless that they are going to be informed to."

— Nicole Clean Becker She added, "I can solely think about the problem that there should be if you have been again in a jury room to kind of separate in the event you assume he is a superb individual or a foul individual, as a result of that is not what they're there for, proper? Due to this fact, they're again there to principally test off bins. If the federal government has achieved this, test it off. If the federal government has achieved that, test it off. Higher guess that they are additionally again there speaking about, ‘Oh my god, are you able to consider what he did on this video?'"

The courtroom considered footage from the 2016 InterContinental lodge incident throughout Diddy's federal trial. (Jane Rosenberg)

Becker famous that testimony and proof could get misconstrued, and that the jury has to separate feelings from reality.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"A few of it, I feel it will get minced," Becker stated. "It turns into … extraordinarily troublesome really to say to your self, 'OK self, I am not alleged to let myself be emotionally concerned on this. I am supposed to only hearken to the regulation, after which put the info in the place the regulation is suitable.'"

"I do know in [R. Kelly's] case, I can solely think about how troublesome that should have been. And I feel that that is going to even be one other troublesome a part of the Diddy case as effectively."