Celebrity lawyer Mark Geragos hasn’t officially joined Sean Combs’ defense team, but he was present in court for the start of jury selection Monday, and prosecutors want him restrained from publicly stating his opinions about the case.
In a letter to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian filed Tuesday, federal prosecutors said Combs’ official, seven-lawyer defense team “appeared to consult with Mark Geragos” during court proceedings Monday, leading them to conclude the media-savvy lawyer – known for representing high-profile clients such as Michael Jackson, Chris Brown and the Menendez Brothers – is acting as “an advisor” to Combs. They said Geragos recently spoke about the case on a podcast and teased that he would discuss it again in an upcoming episode.
“The need for the court’s admonishment is necessary given that as recently as three days ago, Mr. Geragos spoke at length about the trial in this case in his podcast called 2 Angry Men, Mr. Geragos’s podcast with Harvey Levin, the creator of the tabloid news organization TMZ,” the letter from prosecutors reads. The prosecutors called out Geragos’ comments about the surveillance video recorded inside the Intercontinental Hotel that shows Combs beating his ex-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura in 2016. Geragos said the government’s planned use of the video during trial amounted to “character assassination.”
Prosecutors also took issue with Geragos stating on the podcast that the makeup of the prosecution team – six women – could “look like you’re prosecuting a cause.”
The letter pointed to local rules in the Southern District of New York that state lawyers involved in jury selection and trials should refrain from making out-of-court statements that could prejudice jurors and interfere with a fair trial. Such statements include opinions about an accused’s guilt or innocence or “the merits of the case or the evidence in the case.”
Some statements are allowed, however, such as announcements, “without further comment,” that an accused person denies the charges. (Neither Combs’ defense team nor a rep for Geragos immediately replied to requests for comment.)
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Combs, 55, was arrested last September and immediately pleaded not guilty to allegations he trafficked multiple women under a “criminal enterprise” that used violence, threats, and manipulation to fulfill his “sexual gratification.” The Bad Boy Records founder has been in custody ever since and repeatedly denied bail.
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The initial indictment largely mirrored the bombshell rape and trafficking lawsuit filed by Ventura in November 2023. Prosecutors didn’t identify Ventura by name, but her lawyers attended his first court appearance, and she’s widely known to be Victim 1. Prosecutors have said Victim 1 was willing to proceed with her full name at trial. A third superseding indictment was filed last month. Combs is now facing five felony counts of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
The criminal trial is expected to last eight weeks, with opening statements set to begin Monday.
