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Sean “Diddy” Combs likely will not take the witness stand in his own sex trafficking and racketeering trial, the Associated Press reported, as the defense projected just two to five days to make their case, which likely would have been much longer if Combs were to testify.
Sean "Diddy" Combs likely will not testify at his own trial, the Associated Press reported. (Photo ... More
Marc Agnifilo, a defense attorney representing Combs, told Judge Arun Subramanian the defense could possibly take less than two, but no more than five, days to make their case.
Had Combs testified, his time on the witness stand likely would’ve taken at least a week, the Associated Press reported, considering the prosecution’s star witnesses Cassie Ventura and “Jane,” an unnamed alleged Combs victim, each spent about a week on the stand.
Combs’ defense lawyers will present their case to the jury once the prosecution wraps, which could be as early as tomorrow or sometime later this week, after weeks of testimony from dozens of witnesses.
Subramanian said the jury may start deliberations as soon as next week, depending on how long the prosecution and defense take to rest their cases.
Subramanian had previously said he wanted to finish Combs’ trial, which began with witness testimony on May 12, before the July 4 weekend.
Agnifilo previously raised the possibility of Combs testifying, telling TMZ in September the rapper is “very eager to tell his own story.” Combs’ rap rival Suge Knight said earlier this month Combs should testify to “humanize” himself to the jury. But some legal experts have said testifying would be a risky move that could backfire on the defense. Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor, told People testifying would open him up to cross-examination by the prosecution and that whatever he says on the stand would be admissible evidence in the dozens of civil lawsuits that have been filed against him alleging sexual assault and sex trafficking. Entertainment lawyer Lisa Bonner told Page Six it is “highly unlikely” Combs will take the stand, stating there is “nothing to gain, especially if you have any skeletons in your closet,” and that he runs the risk of committing perjury if he is not truthful.
Some have speculated whether President Donald Trump, who previously pardoned rappers including Lil Wayne and NBA YoungBoy for weapons charges, would pardon Combs, whom Trump has previously called a friend. Trump, in response to a reporter’s question about whether he would pardon Combs, said in May he would “look at the facts” and noted he hasn’t spoken to Combs since before he entered politics. Rolling Stone reported in May, citing anonymous sources, that members of Combs’ team have reached out to Trump allies to lay groundwork for a pardon, though sources told Rolling Stone that Trump officials have expressed reservations because of the severity of Combs’ charges.
Jurors were shown videos of Combs’ “freak offs” for the first time, which made some jurors look visibly uncomfortable, according to multiple reports. Unlike some photos shown to jurors, the “freak off” videos were not shown to the entire courtroom and will not be made available to the public because they are sexually explicit. DeLeassa Penland, a special agent with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, took the stand Tuesday as prosecutors walked through Combs’ phone records after he was caught on surveillance footage attacking Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel in 2016. Combs repeatedly texted and called Ventura after the incident, to which Ventura said he is “sick for thinking it’s okay to do what you’ve done,” CNN reported.
Combs is on trial for five federal charges: two counts of sex trafficking, two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and one count of racketeering conspiracy. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. High-profile witnesses who have already testified include his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, whose testimony took up much of the trial’s first week. While on the stand, Ventura alleged Combs raped her in 2018, subjected her to years of physical abuse and coerced her to perform in “freak-off” sex parties with male escorts. Rapper Kid Cudi also took the stand, testifying Combs broke into his house after he discovered Cudi was dating Ventura, after which his car exploded in his driveway. Two unnamed women, “Mia” and “Jane,” also took the stand, whom prosecutors say are victims of Combs’ sex trafficking crimes.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Trial: Trump Addresses Potential Pardon—Says He Would ‘Look At The Facts’ (Forbes)