A variety of witnesses have taken to the stand within the trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, who’s dealing with allegations of racketeering and intercourse trafficking throughout his time as head of an leisure empire.
Testimony within the trial started on Monday after the ultimate section of jury choice and opening assertion from legal professionals. Combs, donning a light-grey sweater, gave a thumbs-up to supporters within the courtroom in New York Metropolis in the USA.
“For 20 years, the defendant, with the assistance of his trusted inside circle, dedicated crime after crime,” Assistant US Lawyer Emily Johnson instructed the court docket. “That’s why we’re right here at present. That’s what this case is about.”
A variety of witnesses testified that that they had skilled bodily violence, intimidation, and manipulation by Combs, whereas the rapper’s legal professionals mentioned that he has been charged with the improper classes of crimes and “his kinky intercourse and his preferences for intercourse” had been being portrayed as nefarious.
Lawyer Teny Geragos instructed jurors that they might find yourself considering Combs was a “jerk” or “sort of imply”, however that he’s not being charged “with being imply or a jerk”.
“This case is about voluntary selections made by succesful adults in consensual relationships,” Geragos mentioned throughout her opening assertion.
Johnson, the US lawyer, mentioned that Combs “viciously attacked” girls who refused to take part within the events that had been referred to as “freak offs”.
“They may inform you about among the most painful experiences of their lives. The times they spent in resort rooms, excessive on medication, wearing costumes to carry out the defendant’s sexual fantasies,” Johnson instructed jurors of testimony from victims within the case.
‘She was shaking’
The courtroom grew to become audibly silent as a video of Combs beating and kicking his former girlfriend Casandra Ventura in 2016 was proven.
A stripper named Daniel Phillip testified that Combs had thrown a liquor bottle in direction of Ventura earlier than grabbing her by the hair and dragging her screaming into one other room, the place Phillip says he heard Combs yelling and beating Ventura.
“She actually jumped into my lap and she or he was shaking, like actually her complete complete physique was shaking. She was terrified,” Phillip testified of Ventura.
Geragos conceded that Combs is liable to jealousy and had dedicated an act of “horrible, dehumanising violence” within the video proven to jurors, however that it was proof of home abuse, not alleged acts of intercourse trafficking or racketeering which might be on the centre of the case.
Prosecutors say that Combs, who faces a compulsory minimal sentence of 15 years in jail if convicted of all 5 felony counts to which he had pleaded not responsible, pushed girls to interact in drug-fuelled events after which blackmailed them with movies of their encounters.
Combs’s standing as a high-profile entertainer has introduced substantial consideration to the trial, in addition to bigger debate about how highly effective figures in sectors similar to leisure, enterprise, sports activities, and politics usually evade accountability for acts of abuse.
Because the case started, the jury and alternates – 12 males and 6 girls – had been seated within the courtroom. Opening arguments began after the decide completed explaining the legislation because it pertains to this trial, together with incidentals similar to {that a} gentle breakfast can be offered to the jury along with lunch.
The jury for this case is actually nameless, that means their identities are recognized to the court docket and the prosecution and defence, however is not going to be made public.
“We are going to maintain your names and identities in confidence,” Subramanian instructed jurors.
It’s a typical apply in federal circumstances to maintain juries nameless, notably in delicate, high-profile issues the place juror security is usually a concern. Juror names additionally had been stored from the general public in US President Donald Trump’s felony trial final 12 months in state court docket in New York.
Subramanian urged jurors to guage the case solely primarily based on the proof introduced in court docket. It’s a normal instruction, but it surely carried added significance on this high-profile case, which has been the topic of intense media protection.
“Something you’ve seen or heard exterior the courtroom isn’t proof,” the decide mentioned. “It have to be disregarded.”
