The defence team for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs have rested their case in under half an hour.
The rapper and hip-hop mogul was reprimanded by Judge Arun Subramanian for nodding at jurors while his attorneys cross-examined government witnesses. He has remained mostly silent over the trial – which has spanned nearly seven weeks – but did stand to answer several questions from the Judge on Tuesday afternoon (June 24).
When asked how he was, he said (via NPR): “I’m doing great, your honour. I’ve been wanting to tell you thank you, you’re doing an excellent job.”
When asked if he had discussed the idea of taking to the witness stand with his lawyers, he said that he had chosen not to testify. “That is my decision, your honour. That is solely my decision. I mean, it’s my decision with my lawyers,” he stated.
The comments came after his defence attorney, Alexandra Shapiro, pushed for the acquittal of all five charges the rapper faces – one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of transportation for prostitution and two counts of sex trafficking.
She added that the government which had rested its case against Combs earlier that day had failed to meet the burden of proof.
Diddy has pleaded guilty to accusations of leading a criminal enterprise and being behind decades of concealed abuse.
Over the past month and a half, over 24 witnesses have testified against Combs, including ex-girlfriends, law enforcement agents and former employees. Both NPR and Rolling Stone said that the rapper’s defence attorney presented their case in around 25 minutes.
In the opening argument, defence attorney Teny Geragos is quoted by these outlets as saying: “Sean Combs is a complicated man, but this is not a complicated case”. They would also go on to say that while his relationships were “unconventional” they were consensual.
They have not disputed some of the key events in the prosecution’s argument – including the alleged attack of former girlfriend Cassie Ventura in a hotel in 2016 – and said that while he may be guilty of physical assault and domestic violence, he is innocent when it comes to sexually coercing or trafficking anyone.
No witnesses were called, and instead, the defence submitted several text messages between Ventura and Combs to make their case. This included texts from Ventura saying she loved Combs and appreciated him.
Also presented was a document that pointed out alleged minor inconsistencies in the testimonies given by some government witnesses. From there, the defence rested its case.
Ventura has responded to messages that seemingly show her helping to plan the “freak-off” sexual parties, claiming that she was asked to help by Combs, and feared for her safety if she did not comply.
This is a developing story and closing arguments are expected to begin tomorrow (June 26).
