Sean "Diddy" Combs' legal battles continue to intensify as federal prosecutors seek to admonish one of his high-profile attorneys, Mark Geragos, for public comments made about Diddy's ongoing criminal case.
Although not yet officially part of the defense team, Geragos has been advising Combs and was notably present in court during jury selection, which began Monday.
Prosecutors allege that Geragos violated rules restricting attorneys from making statements that could prejudice the jury or affect trial fairness.
In a recent court filing, as obtained by AllHipHop, the government expressed concerns over Geragos' appearance on his podcast, "2 Angry Men," co-hosted with TMZ founder Harvey Levin.
Controversial Statement
During a May 2 episode, Geragos referred to surveillance footage from the Intercontinental Hotel as "character assassination" and criticized the prosecution, suggesting they were "prosecuting a cause."
Additionally, he hinted at a possible defense strategy by discussing Combs' alleged temper and drug use, neither of which forms the current charges.
Prosecutors say these comments jeopardize the integrity of the trial and the selection process.
They highlighted that Diddy's legal team had previously criticized government witness lawyers for similar public commentary, creating what they see as a double standard.
The government has urged the judge to issue what is called a "curative instruction," a formal reminder to Geragos of his obligations under the judicial conduct rules and a halt to any comparable prejudicing public statements.
The trial, which has already drawn significant media attention, continues to unfold with these latest developments adding to its complexity and high-profile nature.
Diddy Trial
The highly anticipated trial of hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs resumed Monday with the final stage of jury selection, followed by opening statements in the federal case accusing him of racketeering and sex trafficking.
Prosecutors allege that Combs, 55, abused his position at the top of the music industry to sexually exploit women from 2004 to 2024. The charges also include kidnapping, arson, and bribery. Combs pleaded not guilty after his arrest in September and remains held without bail in a Brooklyn federal detention center.
If convicted on all counts, Combs faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and could potentially spend the rest of his life behind bars.
During pretrial proceedings last week, Combs' defense attorneys indicated they plan to argue that while the rapper may have engaged in domestic violence, his conduct did not amount to coercion or sex trafficking.
"We are going to take the position that there was mutual violence in their relationship," defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo said. "We're probably going to call it domestic violence." He added that this does not prove coercion.
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian expressed skepticism about this defense approach, stating, "Strong people can be coerced just like a weak person."
The prosecution asked the court to bar the defense from questioning a key witness, Cassie Ventura, about unrelated domestic violence incidents.
Three witnesses are expected to testify next week, including an escort reportedly involved in the case and Ventura herself. Prosecutors noted that Ventura is pregnant and will require frequent breaks during her testimony.
Court proceedings will begin each day at 9 a.m., starting with lawyers making peremptory strikes to finalize the jury pool. Once 12 jurors and six alternates are sworn in, opening statements will commence.
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