Music Combs does not witness and ends his defense in less than 30 minutes

After informing the court that they would not call any witness, the lawyers of Sean Combs They took about 25 minutes to present their defense at the Mogan trial for sexual trafficking and extortion on Tuesday.

Throughout the process, the main lawyer of Combs, MARC AGNIFILOhe even presented very different estimates about how long the defense could take. After prosecutors reduced their list of witnesses, Agnifile He said they might need up to two weeks. More recently, it estimated that it would be necessary for two to five days. In a turnaround on Monday, he announced that the defense would not call any witness and only present documents such as evidence. Although it is not uncommon for the defense to choose not to call witnesses, the decision indicated that the team believed that the testimonies under counterrogatory had already raised enough doubts to lead to an acquittal or an undecided jury.

The short time surprised, considering that Combs It can take life imprisonment if it is convicted of the five criminal accusations it faces. At 55, the artist, who has actively participated in the process, declared himself innocent in accusations of conspiracy for extortion, sexual trafficking and transportation for prostitution.

Before the defense began, the federal judge Arun Subramanian asked Combs If the decision not to witness was his. Standing, Combs He praised the judge for doing “excellent work” in conducting the trial. With a slightly hoarse voice, he confirmed that he had been informed about his rights and chose not to testify in his own defense. “This is a decision exclusively mine,” he said. “It’s my decision, together with my lawyers.”

Now in its seventh week, the trial approaches the holiday of Independence Day on July 4. The judge Subramanian He had already told the jurors that he expected to end the work until that date. With the final arguments scheduled for Thursday, the expectation is that the case will be delivered to the jury on Monday.

Combs It seemed to be in a good mood as the accusation ended its part in the case. During the counterrogatory conducted by the defense lawyer Teny Geragos With the prosecution’s last witness-a special agent of the internal security department-the hip-hop typ was seen laughing and smiling alongside his lawyers. Although the defense said earlier that it had not yet decided to Combs It would testify, it is not expected to witness.

The team of Combs He was able to present much of his argument during the counter -interrogations of the nearly three dozen government witnesses, questioning possible contradictions in the statements or statements considered inconsistent.

At one point, the judge Subramanian commented the intense tone of the counterrogatory led by the defense lawyer Nicole Westmoreland with BRYANA “BANA” BONGOLANfriend of Casandra Ventura. Bongolan stated that Combs He hung from the 17th floor balcony of a building. The judge said that Westmoreland had a “true moment Perry Mason”By presenting evidence that Combs was not in Los Angeles during the period mentioned by Bongolan as a date of the alleged incident. Bongolan He admitted that he was not sure of the exact date.

Since the arrest of CombsIn September, their lawyers have been claiming that the accusations, which cover almost 20 years, represent an abuse of power by the prosecution. They claim that the government invaded the defendant’s personal life and began to judge his private sexual conduct. In its opening statement last month, Teny Geragos stated that the two women at the center of sex trafficking accusations-the ex-girlfriend of Combs, Casandra “Cassie” Venturaand a woman identified by the pseudonym “Jane” – They were not victims. According to her, they were independent, capable and aware of their decisions.

Gergos acknowledged that Combs It may have been an “idiot”, a jealous and jealous boyfriend who admitted at least an episode of brutal violence. But he stressed that he is not being tried for domestic violence. “Domestic violence is not sexual trafficking,” he said. “If he had been accused of domestic violence, if he had been accused of aggression, we would not be here today.”

The lawyers of Combs They suggested that several government witnesses could have personal interests in their relations with him, both romantic and professional. In case of Harshnessthey claim that the relationship with the founder of Bad Boy Entertainment It helped consolidate your fame and boost your musical career.

Although Harshness has witnessed that Combs He would have kept his music hostage, releasing only one album of a ten -album contract, defense lawyers presented photos of her on red carpets of cinematic events, in various photographic rehearsals and mentioning names of first -ranking artists.

And, according to Gergosit wasn’t just Harshness who would have taken advantage of Combs for its own benefit. She suggested that other alleged victims or employees also had their own interests, including personal gains. The experienced lawyers hardly questioned the former artist at Bad Boy, Dawn Richardand Bongolan about civil processes that they were moving against Combs.

They questioned the former assistants of Combs, Capricorn Clark and a woman identified by the pseudonym “Mia”on why they maintain friendly relationships with him, even after claiming they had traumatic experiences during the period they worked for him.

“They are with him, or work for him, because they are receiving something they want to be by his side,” he said Gergos. “Now, for each person, this ‘something’ may be different. And it is usually. But for all, they are getting something.”

This article was originally published by Rolling Stone USA by Cheyenne Roundree and Nancy Dillon on June 24, 2025, and can be checked here.

+++ Read more: Former Assistant says he bought drugs for Diddy; Learn more

+++ read more: ‘Sean Combs will testify?’ And other questions that we still want answers

+++ Read more: Diddy’s judgment: possible dismissal of jury and rapper’s ‘threatening’ voice notes