Sean “Diddy” Combs is getting ready to argue that heavy drug and alcohol use left him mentally incapable of forming prison intent, a protection that prosecutors are transferring swiftly to dam forward of his looming federal trial.
Media Take Out, an leisure weblog that focuses totally on African People within the leisure business, reported that Diddy’s authorized workforce plans to name a Columbia College professor to testify concerning the music mogul’s alleged impaired psychological state throughout the time of the alleged offenses.
Prosecutors have filed motions opposing the testimony, calling it improper and irrelevant. They argue that Diddy’s protection failed to supply correct discover below the regulation and famous that the professor by no means personally evaluated him, which means any testimony would depend on normal experience relatively than scientific statement.
In accordance with newly filed paperwork, Diddy’s attorneys hope to argue that substance abuse impaired his capability to regulate his actions. Prosecutors counter that whether or not Diddy was “lucid” throughout the alleged incidents doesn’t excuse or diminish his obligation.
“Diddy’s authorized workforce claiming that he didn’t have the psychological capability to commit the alleged crime is WILD! Speak about greedy for straws,” South African social media person Good Hair Diaries wrote. “He wants to affix one of many non secular [organizations] in jail and alter his life.”
The protection additionally faces one other main setback. In the course of the newest listening to, Choose Arun Subramanian dominated that graphic surveillance video displaying Diddy allegedly attacking ex-girlfriend Cassie at a Los Angeles lodge in 2016 will probably be allowed as proof throughout the trial.
None of Diddy’s attorneys responded to remark requests from Black Press USA. Prosecutors declined to remark.
The trial is about to start with jury choice on Could 5.
In preparation, Diddy’s authorized workforce submitted 30 questions for potential jurors, TMZ reported. The proposed questions probe potential jurors’ views on drug use, celebrities, group intercourse, dishonest in relationships, and opinions about hip-hop tradition.
One query asks whether or not listening to about “individuals partaking in sexual relations with a number of sexual companions” would influence a juror’s capability to be honest. On the similar time, one other addresses whether or not jurors consider rich people are handled otherwise by the justice system.
Diddy’s authorized workforce is stacked with high-profile attorneys, together with lead lawyer Marc Antony Agnifilo, who beforehand represented NXIVM chief Keith Raniere, former Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng, IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, and “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli. He’s joined by Teny Geragos, a companion with expertise in defending sexual misconduct allegations and the daughter of famed lawyer Mark Geragos. Different protection workforce members embody Alexandra Shapiro and Brian Metal, who not too long ago defended rapper Younger Thug in Georgia’s longest-running prison trial.
The prosecution workforce options eight attorneys, with 5 designated as leads: Emily Anne Johnson, Madison Reddick Smyser, Mary Christine Slavik, Meredith Foster and Mitzi Steiner. Prosecutor Maurene Comey, daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, can even play a significant function, having beforehand helped safe the conviction of British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell.
Prosecutors are anticipated to name forensic psychologist Daybreak Hughes, who testified throughout the R. Kelly prison trial and the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation case.
In the meantime, Diddy’s former chief of workers, Kristina Khorram, is dealing with no less than three civil lawsuits alleging that she helped cowl up Diddy’s alleged habits. She has not been charged with a criminal offense.
Choose Subramanian, who as soon as clerked for Supreme Courtroom Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and practiced on the prestigious Manhattan agency Susman Godfrey, is presiding over the case which NBC Information mentioned is probably the most high-profile project of his profession so far.
The prosecution for Diddy’s case is working to seal the notorious “freak-off” tapes from the general public — which is deliberate for use as reveals in his upcoming intercourse trafficking trial. Whereas prosecutors have described the movies as extraordinarily delicate, stopping the general public from seeing them might cover and defend the names and faces of different high-profile figures; thus, some individuals are soliciting Subramanian to stop the prosecutorial workforce from limiting the tapes to solely jurors.
“Sealing these tapes can be a slap within the face to justice! The general public has each proper to know who’s concerned, particularly if it exposes corruption on the prime,” social media person and lawyer Hosna wrote on X. “I’m sending my e mail to Choose Subramanian now. Let’s maintain pushing for the reality.”
