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Throughout the first two weeks of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex-trafficking trial, the jury heard from the rapper’s ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, male escorts, ex-assistants and former Homeland Safety Investigations (HSI) brokers.
The prosecution has roughly six weeks to show Diddy helmed a felony enterprise used to sexually exploit ladies, together with Cassie. Authorities charged Diddy with a number of counts of racketeering conspiracy, intercourse trafficking by pressure, fraud or coercion and transporting for prostitution in 2024.
“Week two of the Combs trial helped the prosecution corroborate Ventura’s testimony through independent witnesses and establish the elements of sex trafficking and racketeering,” former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani instructed Fox Information Digital. “The defense scored some points on cross-examination, but I think they’re way behind.”
Nevertheless, different consultants famous the protection is doing a “great job” utilizing the prosecution’s witnesses to bolster their arguments throughout cross-examination.
CASSIE VENTURA EMERGES AS ‘STAR WITNESS’ IN DIDDY’S FEDERAL SEX CRIMES TRIAL: EXPERT
Testimony in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ intercourse crimes trial started on Might 12 with opening statements. (Jane Rosenberg)
“The defense is doing a great job at exploiting witness testimony to support their theory of the case and show that while Mr. Combs may be a ‘bad actor’ when it comes to domestic violence, etc. — something no one is condoning — the federal charges are unsubstantiated based on the testimony we have heard to date, in my opinion,” legal professional David S. Seltzer instructed Fox Information Digital. “While we cannot hear the testimony in real time because we are in Federal Court, I think the Government is not meeting their burden to date.”
Leisure lawyer Tre Lovell famous that whereas the jury has heard “consistent” testimony from the witnesses, affordable doubt “looms very heavy” after the primary two weeks.
“To date, we have heard consistent testimony from several of the witnesses that Diddy was violent with Cassie Ventura, was controlling over her, instructed what to do in the ‘freak offs’ and was a jealous boyfriend, but none of this is sufficient to justify a criminal enterprise or a pattern of criminal conduct,” Lovell, of The Lovell Agency, defined. “Cassie’s relationship can be as easily characterized as she was in love with Diddy, performed ‘freak offs’ because of her feelings for him and stayed with him for personal benefits such as furthering her career, developing connections, and being taken care of financially. Reasonable doubt looms very heavy in these first two weeks of trial. The prosecution will need to bring out additional victims that are not girlfriends of Diddy to separate a romantic, emotionally charged relationship from actual sex trafficking.”
“To date, we have heard consistent testimony from several of the witnesses that Diddy was violent with Cassie Ventura, was controlling over her, instructed what to do in the ‘freak offs’ and was a jealous boyfriend, but none of this is sufficient to justify a criminal enterprise or a pattern of criminal conduct.”
Child Cudi testified Thursday in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex-trafficking trial. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox Information Digital)
On Thursday, the jury heard from rapper Child Cudi — who testified that he had a romantic relationship with Diddy’s ex, Cassie, in 2011. Child Cudi testified that when Diddy came upon in regards to the relationship, he broke into the musician’s house and later allegedly set hearth to his automotive. Nevertheless, there was no definitive proof to show Child Cudi’s claims.
“Ventura told Kid Cudi that Combs would hit and kick her, but Combs’ lawyers elicited testimony that Cassie never said anything about sexual abuse, which is important,” Rahmani, founding father of West Coast Trial Attorneys, mentioned. “Kid Cudi broke up with Ventura because Combs was violent, and he was concerned for his own safety. He also said Ventura was playing both him and Combs. That’s a central theory for the defense: that Ventura is a strong, independent woman who made her own decisions, including willingly participating in the swingers lifestyle.”
“Reasonable doubt looms very heavy in these first two weeks of trial.”
Whereas there have been flaws within the prosecution’s presentation of Child Cudi’s testimony, it was nonetheless “important because arson is an underlying crime for a RICO conspiracy,” Rahmani defined.
“That allows the prosecution to potentially get a racketeering conviction even if the jury believes the ‘freak offs’ were consensual and there was no sex trafficking,” he added. “If the jury doesn’t find trafficking, they can still convict on racketeering if they find that Combs engaged in kidnapping, arson, extortion or prostitution.”
Male unique dancer Sharay Hayes testified in Diddy’s trial on Tuesday. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters)
DIDDY TRIAL WITNESS REVEALS THREATS AND VIOLENCE THAT COULD SUPPORT RICO CHARGES: EXPERT
Male unique dancer Sharay Hayes, also referred to as The Punisher, testified to having intercourse with Cassie on the request of Diddy and mentioned that the encounters had been all the time consensual. He instructed the jury that he didn’t get any cues of any discomfort from Cassie, and that if he had, he would have stopped. Diddy’s protection lawyer doubled down, asking if Hayes ever did something to Cassie that she didn’t need. Hayes replied no. He claimed it was consensual.
“The scenario I was there to create… was going well,” he mentioned throughout cross-examination.
Hayes spoke to Fox Information Digital about his “nerve-wracking” expertise testifying within the rapper’s trial.
“Honestly, going into the courtroom… I thought I was prepared for it, but it was extremely nerve-wracking,” he instructed Fox Information Digital. “So I want to say, for almost the entire time of my testimony, I avoided eye contact. I avoided even looking in [Diddy’s] direction. And then actually going into that environment, you can’t really prepare yourself and I had no idea it was going to be that many people, that many rows and tables. So I wanna say, for about half of the testimony, I couldn’t even locate where he was. It was a really intense atmosphere.”
WATCH: MALE ESCORT THE PUNISHER MADE DIRECT EYE CONTACT WITH DIDDY AFTER LEAVING COURT
Hayes additionally admitted that he “never truly understood what part of my testimony was valuable” to the prosecution.
“I really thought my testimony — because there was nothing negative, nothing whatever — I really thought it was something that the defense would benefit them,” he mentioned.
“I’m not a legal analyst or anything, but sometimes I said, well, maybe the prosecution just wants to question me and have everything in case the defense calls me,” Hayes added. “Because I really couldn’t understand how I was significant to their case. But there’s probably something there that I’m just unaware of.”
A courtroom sketch portrays male unique dancer Sharay Hayes testifying at Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex-trafficking trial in New York Metropolis on Tuesday. (Jane Rosenberg)
“I really couldn’t understand how I was significant to their case. But there’s probably something there that I’m just unaware of.”
In response to Seltzer, The Punisher’s testimony “did not help” the prosecution.
“The government is trying to put the pieces together for a RICO charge, but so far the testimony of The Punisher and Kid Cudi did not help them,” he instructed Fox Information Digital. “The Punisher, I believe, bolstered the defense position that all the activities were consensual, and that Cassie was a willing participant, stating he observed Ventura ‘sighing or wincing’ at Combs’ repeated directions, he interpreted it ‘as frustration’ with the situation rather than unwillingness to participate. Furthermore, stating he believed their experiences were ‘completely natural.’ Kid Cudi’s recount of decade-old allegations also assisted the defense, which was supported by the Judge sustaining an objection by the defense when it came to a speculative statement that Mr. Combs committed burglary and/or arson.”
“The police in both those allegations could not connect Mr. Combs to the incidents, and the ‘apology’ by Mr. Combs years later, in my opinion, is not an admission to anything other than, sorry we had issues regarding Ms. Ventura,” Seltzer added. “The government put on a Homeland Security agent to show all the items seized in Mr. Combs’ house. That tactic is a continuation of the government trying to paint Mr. Combs as a bad actor, someone the jury can convict because he is devious and reprehensible, but the testimony of the drugs, firearms and baby oil still do not support the charges.”
DIDDY TRIAL: CASSIE VENTURA’S TOP 5 CLAIMS AGAINST RAPPER
Regina Ventura testified in opposition to Sean “Diddy” Combs. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox Information Digital)
Cassie Ventura’s mom Regina Ventura and former finest good friend Kerry Morgan had been each referred to as to the stand by the prosecution to testify in opposition to Diddy.
“Regina Ventura, Cassie’s mom, testified for only 15 minutes, but it was some of the most impactful testimony of the trial,” Rahmani defined. “Regina also took pictures of Cassie’s bruises and they were shown to the jury. Combs was upset Cassie was in a relationship with Kid Cudi and Combs demanded that Cassie pay him $20,000. If Cassie refused, Combs said he would release two sex tapes of her and send someone to hurt her and Kid Cudi. Regina took out a home equity line to pay Combs the money.
“This testimony proved coercion, which is a component of intercourse trafficking, and extortion, which is a RICO predicate act. It additionally corroborates Cassie’s account that she was overwhelmed and Combs used the freak off tapes as blackmail.”
Cassie’s former friend Kerry Morgan testified that she witnessed Diddy become violent with the “Me & U” singer. (Ted Shaffrey/AP Photo)
Morgan, who claimed she saw Diddy become physically abusive with Cassie on a handful of occasions, was one of the “finest witnesses up to now,” according to Rahmani.
“She noticed Combs punch and drag Ventura throughout the ground,” he explained. “After the resort assault, Combs got here to Ventura’s residence and banged on the door with a hammer. Combs managed each facet of Ventura’s life: her funds, her residence, her automotive, and her profession. This management explains the psychology of abuse and is proof of coercion for the intercourse trafficking prices.”
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Diddy’s former assistant David James testified over two days. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)
The prosecution has also been presenting evidence of Diddy’s alleged criminal enterprise with testimony in the past two weeks, according to Rahmani.
“David James, Combs’ former assistant, took the stand and instructed jurors that he obtained condoms, Astroglide and Percocet for Combs. This helps show the felony enterprise,” he noted.
“One in all Combs’ different assistants, George Kaplan, testified beneath a grant of immunity that he would choose up medicine for Combs and arrange the resort rooms with child oil and Astroglide for the ‘freak offs,’ the legal professional mentioned. “He would also clean up the drugs and hotel rooms after the ‘freak offs.’ He also described a number of incidents where Combs was violent with Ventura: on his private jet with broken glass, and in his home with Ventura having bruising on her face. This was more evidence of the criminal enterprise, with Combs as the head.”
George Kaplan, a former worker of Diddy, testified about establishing resort rooms for the rapper. (Jonathan Fernandes/Sipa/Reuters)
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The jury has heard from no less than one skilled witness up to now, Dr. Daybreak Hughes. The scientific psychologist took the stand to supply “blind testimony” about why an individual would keep in an abusive relationship.
The jury heard from Daybreak Hughes, a scientific psychologist. (Jane Rosenberg)
“The psychology expert was helpful to the prosecution in answering a lingering question that every juror most certainly has: if Cassie was being trafficked and forced to do all these horrific things, why did she stay? The lay person would probably assume she stayed because she had feelings despite Diddy’s bad conduct,” Lovell mentioned. “The expert was able to provide an alternative reason emanating from abuse trauma where victims become controlled by the perpetrator and feel trapped and helpless.”
“She testified it was about the power and control abusers have over the victim, which were the very buzz words the prosecution needs for the sex trafficking charge,” he added. “She was helpful to the prosecution, both for providing a reason for Cassie staying other than she loved Combs, as well as the force and coercion elements necessary for sex trafficking.”
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Fox Information Digital’s Larry Fink contributed to this report.
