Diddy confirms whether he'll testify as sex trafficking trial nears end

Sean "Diddy" Combs told nan judge astatine his activity trafficking proceedings that he was doing an "excellent job" arsenic he confirmed he would not beryllium testifying.

Combs made nan remark to US District Judge Arun Subramanian aft being asked if he planned to testify.

The mobility was posed aft nan prosecution rested aft a much than six-week-long position of grounds against nan hip-hop maven that confronted him pinch erstwhile labor and 2 erstwhile girlfriends who expressed regret astatine his curen of them complete nan past 2 decades.

After nan prosecution rested, Combs' lawyers asked Subramanian to halt nan proceedings instantly and propulsion retired nan charges, arguing nan charges were not proven. The judge reserved a decision.

The authorities rested aft defence lawyer Teny Geragos vanished questioning nan prosecution's last witness: Joseph Cerciello, a Homeland Security Investigations agent.

Prosecutors person cited nan "freak-offs" arsenic impervious of nan activity trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges that resulted successful Combs' apprehension past September.

Defence lawyers, though, opportunity they were consensual intersexual encounters accordant pinch nan swingers lifestyle.

Combs, 55, has pleaded not blameworthy and has remained incarcerated without bail successful a national lock-up successful Brooklyn aft aggregate judges concluded past autumn that he was a threat to nan community.

The government's lawsuit consisted of 34 witnesses, including erstwhile labor of Combs' Bad Boy Entertainment companies, but nan bulk of its impervious has travel from nan grounds of 2 erstwhile girlfriends: Casandra "Cassie" Ventura and a exemplary and net characteristic known to jurors only by nan pseudonym "Jane".

Ventura, 38, testified for 4 days during nan trial's first week, saying she felt pressured to prosecute successful hundreds of "freak-offs" because nan encounters would alteration her to beryllium friendly pinch Combs aft performing sexually pinch antheral activity workers while he watched them slather 1 different pinch babe lipid and sometimes filmed nan encounters.

Jane testified for six days astir nan intersexual performances she branded "hotel nights," saying that she was putting them into position aft opening therapy 3 months ago. She said she felt coerced into engaging successful them arsenic precocious arsenic past August, but did truthful because she loved and still loves Combs.

Ventura was successful a narration pinch Combs from 2007 to 2018, while Jane was often pinch him from 2021 until his arrest, which canceled her scheme to meet him astatine nan New York edifice wherever he was taken into custody.

The Associated Press doesn't mostly place group who opportunity they are victims of intersexual maltreatment unless they travel guardant publicly, arsenic Cassie has done.

After prosecutors rested, nan assemblage was sent to lunch. When they return, a defence position was expected to beryllium completed by nan extremity of nan time without immoderate witnesses.

Throughout nan trial, defence lawyers person made their lawsuit for exoneration done their questioning of witnesses, including respective who testified reluctantly aliases only aft they were granted immunity from immoderate crimes they whitethorn person committed.

Combs has been progressive successful his defence, penning notes to his lawyers and sometimes helping them determine erstwhile to extremity questioning a witness.

He was admonished erstwhile by nan judge for nodding enthusiastically toward jurors during a successful agelong of cross-examination by 1 of his lawyers. Prosecutors complained that his gestures were a shape of testifying without being taxable to cross-examination. The judge warned that he could beryllium excluded from his proceedings if it happened again.

In nan past week, prosecutors and defence lawyers person shown jurors much than 40 minutes of recordings Combs made of nan "freak-offs" aliases "hotel nights."

Several jurors occasionally seemed squeamish arsenic they viewed and listened to audio of nan encounters, but astir did not look to react.

In her opening statement, Geragos had called nan videos "powerful grounds that nan intersexual behaviour successful this lawsuit was consensual and not based connected coercion."

Closing arguments were tentatively scheduled for Thursday.,

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