Nine attorneys—five men and four women—fill two tables in the courtroom for Sean “Diddy” Combs. Some of them are confrontational cross-examiners, while others take a gentler approach with witnesses. A few focus solely on making legal arguments to have certain exhibits admitted or excluded. However, they all report to Combs himself.
Attorney Brian Steel was about to finish his cross-examination of rapper Kid Cudi last month when he paused to confer with Combs at the defense table. The two men spoke quietly before Steel declared that he had no further questions.
As another lawyer questioned Combs’ former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura—whose allegations are central to the criminal case—Combs jotted down notes on Post-It notes and passed them one by one to his lead attorney, Marc Agnifilo. The stakes are high.
Combs has pleaded not guilty to five counts, including one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of s*x trafficking and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. If convicted of the most serious charges, Combs could face as much as life in prison and a minimum sentence of 15 years.
During six weeks of testimony, the jury reviewed dozens of text messages and financial records and saw photos of injuries sustained by Ventura that were allegedly caused by Combs. Jurors also viewed graphic materials, which included s*xually explicit videos during direct and cross-examination of a witness.
Prosecutors have called nearly three dozen witnesses in the trial. Two accusers testified that Combs forced them to have s*x with male escorts. Additionally, at least six former employees of Combs testified about working long hours, obtaining drugs for him, being reimbursed for his personal expenses, and setting up and cleaning hotel rooms where authorities allege s*x trafficking occurred.
A security officer from the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles—a location featured in a 2016 surveillance video published by CNN showing Combs physically assaulting Ventura—testified that Combs paid him $100,000 to obtain what he believed was the only copy of that footage.
Prosecutors have alleged that Combs, with the assistance of security guards, personal assistants, and others from Bad Boy Entertainment, was involved in a racketeering conspiracy. This conspiracy reportedly included forced labor, kidnapping, arson, s*x trafficking, bribery, obstruction of justice, and drug offenses.
Combs’ defense team is expected to take the spotlight this week in the trial and will have the opportunity to call their own witnesses.
But like most defense teams, they have been trying their case since the start, attempting to cast doubt on the prosecution’s case by challenging the credibility of the government’s witnesses.
“You can’t wait until your case to propagate your theory, you have to do it in their case, so every witness furthers your narrative” said Joey Jackson, a criminal defense lawyer and CNN legal analyst. “It’s very difficult to defend against all of this horrific behavior,” Jackson added.
TTo secure a guilty verdict, the jury, composed of eight men and four women, must determine that Combs entered into an agreement with someone and that at least two of the alleged predicate acts occurred within the past ten years. The jury must reach a unanimous decision regarding these acts. Combs is also accused of s*x trafficking Ventura and a former girlfriend, who testified under the pseudonym “Jane,” using force, fraud, or coercion.
Combs’ lawyers have argued the opposite, claiming that while he did physically assault Ventura and was a poor boyfriend, the s*xual activities were part of a consensual lifestyle referred to as “Freak Offs,” “king nights,” or “hotel nights.” They aimed to convince the jury that Bad Boy was a legitimate business and that Combs’ wild behavior was simply part of his personal life, not his professional one.
“Every single witness has to have a clear objective. I don’t think it’s about meandering or grandstanding, you have to get in and out,” Jackson said.
