The costs in Combs’ federal legal trial embrace intercourse trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. He has pleaded not responsible. If convicted of all fees, Combs might spend the remainder of his life in jail.
AILSA CHANG, HOST:
At the moment, the jury within the federal legal trial of Sean Combs heard opening arguments and testimony from the primary of two authorities witnesses. The costs in opposition to Combs, higher often known as Diddy or Puff Daddy, embrace intercourse trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. Combs pleaded not responsible to all fees. NPR’s Isabella Gomez Sarmiento was within the courtroom and joins us now. And a warning – this reporting will make point out of sexual violence. Hello, Isabella.
ISABELLA GOMEZ SARMIENTO, BYLINE: Hello, Ailsa.
CHANG: So based mostly on the opening argument, are you able to simply give us a way of the case that the prosecution will attempt to make in opposition to Combs throughout this trial?
GOMEZ SARMIENTO: The federal government is saying that for greater than twenty years, Combs used his companies in music, style and media as a legal enterprise that carried out all kinds of alleged crimes, together with kidnapping, bribery, arson and obstruction of justice, but additionally intercourse crimes going again to 2009. These embrace intercourse trafficking and transporting business intercourse employees throughout state strains and overseas. So throughout opening arguments, prosecutor Emily Johnson alleged that Combs trafficked his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, and one other girlfriend who will testify underneath a pseudonym. Johnson stated this isn’t a case a few superstar’s non-public sexual preferences, however moderately about how he used his energy and affect, enabled by a loyal interior circle, to coerce and threaten ladies to satisfy his sexual wishes.
CHANG: And what in regards to the protection? Like, what is going on to be their argument in opposition to all of that?
GOMEZ SARMIENTO: In its opening arguments, Combs’ protection stated this can be a case about jealousy, cash and infidelity, and that these issues don’t have anything to do along with his companies. They admitted off the bat that Combs has a mood, that he may be violent, and he is a drug person. They are saying he led what could also be an unconventional intercourse life, however they argued that is not a federal crime. Protection legal professional Teny Geragos stated Combs is answerable for home violence however that every one of his sexual encounters have been consensual. She stated the federal government has no enterprise intervening in what occurs within the privateness of Combs’ bedrooms and that these ladies have been in loving, but poisonous, relationships with him, and none of that quantities to intercourse trafficking or racketeering conspiracy.
CHANG: OK. Effectively, the jury heard, I perceive, from the primary of two witnesses for the prosecution right now. Inform us what occurred.
GOMEZ SARMIENTO: Yeah, that is proper. So first, we heard from Israel Florez. He is at the moment a Los Angeles police officer, however he was working as a safety guard at an LA resort in 2016. That is when he was referred to as to reply to an altercation between Combs and a girl he later discovered was Cassie Ventura. Prosecutors right now performed a number of variations of a resort surveillance video that is been broadly considered since CNN obtained and launched a model of it final 12 months. It exhibits an incident from March 2016 during which Combs may be seen kicking, hitting and dragging Ventura down the corridor. Florez testified that when he arrived on the resort hallway, Combs had, quote, “a devilish stare.” He stated Ventura was making an attempt to go away, and Combs initially wouldn’t let her. Florez stated that ultimately when Ventura made it out of the resort and he was asking her if she wanted assist, she refused to name the police or reply any questions.
The opposite witness was a person named Daniel Phillip. He stated Ventura gave him massive sums of cash for having intercourse along with her whereas Combs watched on quite a few events. He was requested to explain these encounters, which he stated befell in New York Metropolis between round 2012 and 2014, and he offered very graphic particulars about what he stated befell. He additionally stated he witnessed Combs violently assault Ventura on multiple event, however he didn’t intervene as a result of he was scared for his personal life.
CHANG: Wow, OK. Effectively, what else do you anticipate from this trial for the remainder of this primary week?
GOMEZ SARMIENTO: Cassie Ventura is anticipated to take the stand tomorrow. She filed the primary distinguished civil lawsuit in opposition to Combs within the fall of 2023. They settled that lawsuit out of courtroom inside a day of its submitting. However Cassie’s allegations have been a centerpiece of the prosecution’s opening arguments, and we anticipate that loads of the eye throughout this trial will probably be on her.
CHANG: That’s NPR’s Isabella Gomez Sarmiento. Thanks, Isabella.
GOMEZ SARMIENTO: Thanks.
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