Sean (Diddy) Combs's sex trafficking trial is nearing its end. Here's how it played out
CBC
WARNING: This story contains allegations of sexual violence and may affect those who have experienced it or know someone affected by it.
Prosecutors in the sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial of hip hop mogul Sean (Diddy) Combs have rested their case after calling 34 witnesses to testify over the course of more than six weeks.
The music mogul is charged with leveraging his status to coerce women — including his ex-girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie — into abusive sexual encounters and using violence if they refused.
Prosecutors have cited drug-fuelled multi-day events that Combs referred to as "freak-offs" as evidence of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.
They argued Combs relied on employees, associates and his business accounts to fly male sex workers to Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York, where his staff set up hotel rooms for the encounters and cleaned up afterward.
Later in the afternoon, the defence rested without calling any witnesses.
Combs's lawyers asked U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian to toss out the charges, arguing they weren't proven. The judge said he'll rule at a later date.
The 55-year-old rapper, producer and founder of Bad Boy Entertainment has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges in the trial. He did not testify in his own defence and his legal team chose not to call any of their own witnesses.
He has been jailed since his arrest in September. If convicted, he could get at least 15 years and up to life in prison.
Closing arguments were tentatively scheduled to begin on Thursday.
Here are some of the key moments from the trial.
After prosecutors rested, Subramanian directly questioned Combs about his decision not to testify, standard practice at federal criminal trials, in part to ensure the defendant knows it's his decision, regardless of what his lawyers have told him.
The judge asked Combs how he was doing.
"I'm doing great, your honour," he answered. "I want to tell you thank you, you're doing an excellent job."
