Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyers make final arguments to jurors


Madeline Halpert & Sakshi Venkatraman

BBC News, New York

Reuters Sean "Didi" Combs listens when his lawyer Mark Agnifilo makes his final arguments during the test of sexual trafficking in New York in New York in New YorkReuters

Mr. Agnifilo framed the victims of Combs as willing participants in the so-called freaks

The sex and racketeering case against hip-hop tycoon Sean “Didi” Combs was “bad, poorly exaggerated,” his lawyer told a group of 12 jurors in New York on Friday.

In his conclusion, Mark Agnefilo said for four hours that the government criminalized Kombs and the “swingri lifestyle” of his girlfriends in what is a “false process”.

His 55-year-old client has pleaded guilty to charges of sex, racketeering and transport traffic to join prostitution.

“The government turned to Sean Combs,” said Agnifilo before the court, which led to an objection – later maintained – by prosecutors.

Warning: This story contains details that some readers can find suffering

Lawyer Christie Slavic has been talking to the jurors for five and a half in the prosecutor's final arguments on Thursday, telling them that Combs abuse his power and business empire to have sexual trafficking and committing other crimes.

The prosecutor's office claims that Kombs put his ex-girlfriends with drugs and used violence and other means to force them in the so-called “freaks”-the Kombs name for events where he watched and filmed while having sex with male companions.

While D -Ja Slavic was calm and methodical during a guided digital presentation, the Agnifilo was animated -it walked back and forth and often burst jokes.

He began by attacking the authenticity of the former Kombs girlfriends who testified against him, Cassandra Ventura and an anonymous witness Jane.

He called the 11 -year connection of Kombs with Da Venture – in which she claims that he beats her many times – “one of the great contemporary love stories.” She was a willing participant in their sex life, he said.

“She is a woman who actually likes sex – good for her,” said Agnifilo. “She's beautiful, she should.”

He claims that Da Ventura is not a victim, as Kombs is already in prison and she has arranged a civil case against him for physical violence and sexual coercion for millions of dollars.

“If you had to choose a winner in this whole thing, it's hard not to choose Cassie,” he said.

The problems in their relationships are domestic violence – not for sex traffic, said G -n -Agnifilo. He tried to question prosecutors' argument that the rapper was using violence to force Mrs. Ventura to participate in freaks.

The government focused on a 2016 surveillance video that overcome Mrs. Ventura in the hallway of a hotel in Los Angeles, allegedly, after trying to leave a freak.

Reuters/Jane Rosenberg Sketch of Sean "Didi" Combs listens when his lawyer Mark Agnifilo makes his final argumentsReuters/Jane Rosenberg

Playing the video for jurors again, the Agnifilo claims that it cannot be a case of sexual traffic, as it seems that I don't to gesture in my room when a security guard arrives at the scene.

There was nothing scary in the room, he said, adding that the freaks were “beautiful dinners” with nice music and well -decorated rooms.

Mr. Agnifilo also tried to give up Jane's testimony, citing one night, where she claims that the rapper was violent with her before a freak.

“Her story really doesn't make sense,” he said.

CombS lawyer attacked the government's racketeering case, the claim that Kombs relies on his loyal employees to help him have sex and other crimes, and then conceal them.

There was a “missing evidence” that Kombs and his employees were managing some criminal endeavor and that there were some co -emphasis, he said.

Former Kombs Chief, Christina Horam, who prosecutors have pointed out as a coincidence, is a “useful” woman who everyone loved, Agnifilo told jurors.

A real co -collapse, he claims, would help to kick the door down when it is claimed that Combs had tried to break into his ex -girlfriend's home.

In response to transport to participate in a prostitution charges, Mr Agnifilo claims that the male accompanies a hip-hop tycoon and his hired girlfriends were paid “for their time” with the couple, not for sex.

At the end of his arguments, Kombs, dressed in a white sweater, hugged his lawyer. His family, including his daughters, twin and mother, had sat behind him for the second day in a row.

Reuters/Jane Rosenberg Sketch of Sean "Didi" Combs family including his children and his motherReuters/Jane Rosenberg

The Sean family of “Didi” Combs, including his children and his mother, sits in the courtroom on Friday in New York.

In a refutation of the closure of the defense on Friday, prosecutor Mauren Komi took a more aggressive tone than that of Mrs. Slavic, stabbing Kombs' lawyers to suggest that his ex-girlfriends were lying and that they wanted to get involved after being defeated.

“There is no separation of gender violence,” said Da Komi. “They were trapped emotionally, physically and financially.”

She noted the agreement of the case of G -Ja Ventura, asking, “Why risk everything by lying to a federal process?”

The jurors will gather on Monday for the judge's instructions on how to weigh the case against the hip-hop tycoon. Discussions are expected to begin shortly after.

Combs is in prison for life because of the most serious accusations of racketeering and trafficking in sex.

Banner "Didy" and includes a photo of the rapper

Get all the most BBC Sounds' s test updatesDidy“A podcast is available anywhere you get your BBC podcasts.



Source link

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *