SEAN ‘Diddy’ Combs’ sex-trafficking case could result in a hung jury and second trial as the prosecution has a lot more to prove, an expert has told The U.S. Sun.
The disgraced music mogul, 55, is currently on trial in New York and facing life behind bars if convicted.
He’s pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation to engage in prostitution, as prosecutors alleged his business empire was also a criminal enterprise.
Combs’ trial has been ongoing for more than 20 days and is expected to last eight to 10 weeks.
The jury has already heard disturbing accounts of the star’s alleged behavior over the years, including his abuse of ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, who took to the stand.
They also heard from former employees, including personal assistants, who claim they survived threats, were assaulted, and forced to supply drugs.
Los Angeles-based trial attorney Tre Lovell feels the accusations against Combs are strong enough that he will not be acquitted.
However, he feels the prosecution has faced some difficulties early on and jurors still need to see a lot more evidence for each of the charges.
He said, “I don’t think he’ll get an acquittal, which means you have to have a unanimous jury saying he didn’t do anything wrong, but there is a chance of a hung jury.
“And the way that’s gonna happen is one or more jurors are going to believe that these witnesses consented and wanted to be part of his world and that a lot of what they said is fabricated.
“There’s no way he’s going to take the stand.”
“One of the overall themes of the testimony is.. all these employees and people who were raped, who were assaulted, who were threatened, stayed. They didn’t leave, continued to work for him, and then, even after they worked for him, even after they left, they stayed in touch with him.
“And so if the defense can be successful [in] cutting that down and say, ‘Hey, this just doesn’t make sense. It’s not consistent.’ Thus you have reasonable doubt.”
Lovell also feels the start of the trial felt more like a domestic violence case.
He said, “I think throughout the first week of testimony with Cassie Ventura that the prosecution was having some problems, and that was because, they weren’t able to differentiate that this was a sex-trafficking or racketeering case, as opposed to, domestic violence between two people in a relationship.
“However, as the cases started to progress we have seen assistant after assistant after assistant come forward with testimony, that of criminal act, criminal conduct.
“Whether or not it’s arson, whether or not it’s kidnapping, whether or not it’s extortion, threats, physical violence.
“The most difficult offense to prove is the racketeering because a lot goes into that and those tend to be a big hike.
“Sex trafficking would probably be the second most difficult to prove, and then the easiest could be the prostitution, the transportation to engage in prostitution, which means if he [was] hiring sex workers and bringing them across state lines, and the jury believes that is a form of prostitution.
Lovell went on, “I often say it’s like building a house. Opening arguments are the framing, and then as each witness comes in, each document comes in, you’re starting to build more and more of the house, and at the very end through closing arguments, that’s when the house is finished.
“Sometimes things aren’t going to seem as organized, maybe a little discombobulated, but it’s about tying it up at the end.
“So that we will see witness after witness after witness.
“Sometimes we’ll wonder why the order is as it is, but [by] the end the picture should be painted.”
Lovell says the prosecution’s case is getting stronger but believes it’s not a slam-dunk win and the defense still has a good chance.
He also feels there is no way Combs will take to the stand because his legal team will have a strong strategy and be focusing solely on reasonable doubt.
Lovell said, “There’s no way he’s going to take the stand. There’s no way his lawyers are going to let him.
“There is so much negative testimony out there, so many negative acts that they could use to cross-examine him.
“It would just be a waterfall of pain, and so I don’t think they would ever put him on the stand. They’re going to go through reasonable doubt.
“They’re going to poke holes in the prosecution’s case.
“They’re going to have some testimony from witnesses on his side that are going to corroborate that he’s a good person, that they never saw any of this. Everybody in his orbit was consenting, wanted to be there.”
Meanwhile, even if Combs is found guilty, he could be pardoned by President Donald Trump.
Trump surprised reporters by commenting on the court case during a news conference with Elon Musk and revealed he would consider whether or not he has been “mistreated.”
Asked if he would consider pardoning him, Trump said, “Nobody’s asked. But I know people are thinking about it. I think some people have been very close to asking.”
He said he felt the former music mogul used to like him “a lot” but wasn’t his biggest fan after he went into politics.
Despite this, Trump said, “I would certainly look at the facts. If I think somebody was mistreated, whether they like me or don’t like me, it wouldn’t have any impact on me.”
Lovell previously told The U.S. Sun a pardon would mean Combs would be out in days.
He said, “The pardoning power is one of the ultimate powers of the President. It’s virtually unchecked, and he can do it.
“He doesn’t even have to wait for the conviction. He can do it at any time after somebody’s charged, even after the crime occurs.
Source : https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/14464176/diddy-risks-second-trial-even-wins-over-jury/