EXCLUSIVE: Hours earlier than opening statements in Sean “Diddy” Combs’s sex-trafficking trial are set to begin earlier than a yet-to-be-seated jury, the protection is poised to reap the benefits of a self-wound of types by the prosecution.
As of Sunday evening, the U.S. Legal professional’s workplace for the Southern District of New York have but to re-established contact with a key witness in opposition to the Unhealthy Boy Data founder, I hear.
Just a few weeks in the past, Sufferer-3, as she is known as within the indictment in opposition to Combs, had pledged to testify within the felony trial that can probably see the plea deal rejecting Grammy successful defendant in jail for the remainder of his life if discovered responsible. Shielded from having to present her actual title, Sufferer-3, in line with court docket filings, would have detailed for the court docket and the jury simply how Diddy “sexually exploited” her,
Now embarrassingly nowhere to be discovered, the non-NYC primarily based Sufferer-3 might present Combs’ Marc Agnifilo, Teny Geragos and Brian Metal-led authorized staff with the instruments to convey the case to a stand-still, at the very least for now. Anticipated earlier than Decide Arun Subramanian at round 8:30 a.m. ET to solidify the jury and listen to an replace on Sufferer-3 from the feds, the protection are planning to ask for mistrial or search a delay within the begin of the trial, sources inform me.
Hopes of a mistrial being declared is a little bit of a Hail Mary, let’s be sincere. The will for a postponement, then again, has some robust authorized legs.
Contacted by Deadline earlier Sunday concerning the standing of Sufferer-3 and the attainable outcomes if she doesn’t testify, the SDNY declined to remark, in line with a spokesperson. Legislation enforcement sources say that they imagine Sufferer-3 has gone darkish out of fears for her security, however wouldn’t give any specifics. The protection didn’t reply to request for touch upon the chance that Sufferer-3 is not going to be taking part within the trial and what that might imply.
Predicted to final eight weeks, the felony trial of the much-accused Diddy follows his arrest final September on prices of racketeering, intercourse trafficking, transportation to have interaction in prostitution and extra. Exterior the lately spruced up decrease Manhattan federal courthouse round a dozen folks have been already in line on Sunday night forward of Monday’s trial begin.
Throughout the road, some TV crew tools was already in place, as have been designated spots for shops just like the AP, the BBC, native channels and cabler newsers.
One of many huge sights is Combs’ former long-term girlfriend Cassie Ventura a.okay.a. Sufferer-1, who is predicted to testify underneath her personal title as early as Monday if the trial goes ahead.
Now closely pregnant along with her and husband Alex Superb’s third baby, Ventura was paid off within the tens of thousands and thousands in late 2023 to rapidly drop her personal assault and abuse civil swimsuit in opposition to Combs.
The ‘Me & U’ singer was thrust again into the highlight in spring 2024 when CNN obtained and broadcast a seemingly damning and now protection disputed 2016 lodge safety footage of a half-naked Combs beating Ventura within the corridor and dragging her again to their room. The protection alleges the footage, which their shopper had beforehand apologized for the violence he’s proven committing, was doctored and doesn’t inform the entire story.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs bodily assaulting Cassie Ventura in an LA lodge hallway in 2016
CNN
If Sufferer-3 is a no-show for the feds, because it appears she is going to certainly be, the thrust of the protection’s argument in each its mistrial and delay requests Monday morning can be that the principles of the sport have modified with one of many 4 fundamental witnesses alleging rape and different sordid intercourse crimes by Combs out of the image. One of many sensible penalties of that change is that the protection can be required to reorientate its technique for its ‘All In regards to the Benjamins’ shopper — and that doesn’t occur in a single day.
Whether or not or not the time aware Decide Subramanian goes for will probably be decided early tomorrow on the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse.
But, except Sufferer-3 reveals up or a definitive date for her testimony is established, the protection has a win of types of their pocket both method. If the decide agrees to a mistrial or a postponement, the win is apparent. There can be a trial beginning this week if Decide Subramanian says that Sufferer-1/Ventura and two different witnesses can be testifying together with the newly launched Sufferer-5, and that ought to suffice. Even when that’s the final result, then circumstance could have planted the seeds for a close to sure quick enchantment if the jury’s verdict doesn’t go in Combs’ favor.
Even earlier than the trial correct has begun, the water is murky across the Combs prosecution and protection in different points too
Participating within the authorized equal of trench warfare for his or her high-profile shopper ever since his arrest by the NYPD and feds, the protection mentioned on Might 9 that they might concede that 55-year-old Combs dedicated “home violence” in his 2007 – 2018 relationship with Ventura. Tempering that, Combs’ staff exclaimed so did Ventura, citing “there was mutual violence.” At that Might 9 listening to, certainly one of Combs’ legal professionals Alexandra Shapiro mentioned to nods from her shopper on the protection desk: “The dynamic between these two people is on the very coronary heart of this case.”
Sean “Diddy” Combs & Cassie Ventura in 2012 (Credit score: Getty)
Jeff Vespa/Getty Photos
Incarcerated in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Heart since final fall, Combs may even admit in his years with Ventura and since he had an unconventional intercourse life and “swinger” way of life. With that, and having entered a not responsible plea 3 times now, Combs and his staff have repeatedly additionally insisted the so-called “freak offs” have been consensual, and nowhere close to the drug and boozed fueled brutalities the feds have portrayed them to be.
To that, on this case of failed $50M bail makes an attempt, claims of the feds having a racial bias, and early 2024 raids on the one-time mogul’s LA and Miami houses, the disaster of the lacking witness has been festering for practically every week.
Talked about virtually as an apart throughout jury choice final week, the topic of the all of a sudden unreachable Sufferer-3, got here up on Might 9 in what was purported to be close to formality of a listening to. At the moment, on Friday Assistant U.S. Legal professional Maurene Comey (Sure, a daughter of ex-FBI director James Comey, who Donald Trump fired in 2017) promised there would have a sure or no by EOD that very same day if Sufferer-3 was going to indicate up or not. There is no such thing as a indication on the court docket docket or in any other case, says a well-positioned supply, that such an EOD info both method was ever given to the court docket.
This isn’t going to garner the prosecution any factors with Decide Subramanian
The decide, who practiced industrial and chapter regulation earlier than then-President Joe Biden nominated him to the bench, runs his courtroom with an upbeat effectivity that feels imported from the white collar office: He’s typically very a lot within the mode of the challenge chief retaining his staff on job and on schedule, utilizing encouragement and a fair temperament to steer the case by means of months of pretrial maneuvering and potential roadblocks in direction of Monday’s scheduled opening arguments and possibly testimony.
However on Friday there was concern and perhaps a contact of irritation within the decide’s voice as he contemplated the lacking prosecution witness Sufferer-3, a last-minute enchantment from one jury finalist to be excused from the case, and the opportunity of different potential jurors making an attempt to again out of their service over the weekend. After a number of days of whittling a jury pool of 150 all the way down to 43, with a aim of attending to the 18 who will hear the case (12 jurors and 6 alternates), Decide Subramanian mentioned on Friday that he was on the lookout for “some certainty that you just’re not going to need to re-do jury choice” — a state of affairs that appeared like a worst case state of affairs coming from this keenly organized decide.
Now, it may be the least of his issues come Monday morning.
