The federal attorneys prosecuting Sean “Diddy” Combs at his Manhattan racketeering and intercourse trafficking trial had been taken to process on Tuesday together with the jailed former hip-hop mogul’s workforce of high protection legal professionals when Decide Arun Subramanian furiously reprimanded all counsel on each side of the case after which opened a probe after sealed proof solely seen by their eyes leaked to the tabloid press.
“Somebody is mendacity right here,” Subramanian stated following a questioning session with the attorneys. The decide had concluded that “a number of folks on this courtroom…flagrantly violated this courtroom’s orders” and famous that he requested jurors to decide to the concept Combs’ case be tried “on the details and proof alone.”
“I’ll make it possible for this dedication is honored, and I’ll swiftly examine and punish any violations that befell,” Subramanian stated.
The sealed proof in query didn’t get a point out in courtroom, however information shops, together with USA Today, reported that it concerned a juror and appeared in tabloid information manufacturers TMZ and the Each day Mail.
Maurene Comey, the feds’ lead prosecutor on the case, and protection workforce chief Marc Agnifilo each denied that anybody on their groups leaked the data to the press. This didn’t appear to be of consequence to Subramanian, who knowledgeable them that because the leaders of their authorized groups, he would maintain them individually accountable if somebody on their facet was discovered to have leaked the data. Violating a sealing order may lead to “civil or legal contempt expenses,” he added.
“Ms. Comey and Mr. Agnifilo, you’re every personally accountable for the conduct of your groups and your shoppers,” Subramanian stated. “There’s no passing the buck anymore. The buck stops with you. If something occurs, then lead counsel is accountable.”
In the meantime, after weeks of testimony concerning the “freak-off” resort suite events thrown by Combs — drug-fueled, days-long intercourse periods that the jailed mogul allegedly orchestrated and filmed — jurors listening to the case lastly noticed one with their very own eyes. A complete of 18 minutes of footage of Combs’ ex and “Sufferer-1” Cassie Ventura with male escorts was proven; the 12 women and men should determine if the video they watched immediately is intercourse trafficking, the prosecutors’ argument or is it an intimate second, because the protection argues, from Combs’ private intercourse life.