They puffed it up.
Federal prosecutors overplayed their hand in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ bombshell federal trial by constructing a case based mostly “extra on sensationalism” with “mobster-like expenses” than a stable authorized foundation — finally resulting in his gorgeous acquittal Wednesday on probably the most severe expenses he confronted, authorized consultants advised The Submit.
Jurors discovered Combs, 55, not responsible of intercourse trafficking and racketeering expenses, whereas convicting him on lesser prostitution counts.
The result didn’t shock veteran protection lawyer David S. Seltzer, managing accomplice at Seltzer Mayberg, LLC, who mentioned the feds proved that Combs abused ladies and loved voyeuristic intercourse, however didn’t show that the mogul’s sins and kinks have been a part of a Mafia-like felony enterprise.
“The federal government’s case was weak from the beginning,” Seltzer, who wasn’t concerned within the case, advised The Submit.
“They tried to place a sq. peg in a spherical gap, utilizing mobster-like expenses, when all that they had have been glorified State Courtroom expenses.”
Prosecutors pursued a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act — or RICO — case towards the Unhealthy Boy Information mogul, alleging he used his enterprise empire to hide sordid crimes, together with forcing his girlfriends into degrading, drug-fueled intercourse romps he dubbed “freak-offs.”
Protection lawyer and former prosecutor Neama Rahmani agreed that the end result hinged on how prosecutors may show he ran a felony enterprise.
“Like I’ve mentioned all alongside, this case will come right down to racketeering,” Rahmani predicted forward of the decision.
“If the federal government doesn’t get a RICO conviction, this will likely be an enormous loss and the costliest prostitution trial in American historical past.”
In the course of the sensational two-month trial, Combs’ former girlfriends Cassie Ventura and a lady solely recognized as “Jane” testified they have been coerced into disturbing “freak-offs” with escorts.
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However Nicole Brenecki, a New York trial lawyer, mentioned the testimony indicated that Combs’ ex-girlfriends seem to have “willingly taken half in ‘freak-offs.’”
“Voluntary participation, irrespective of how controversial, doesn’t equal organized crime,” Brenecki mentioned.
The prosecution’s case fell aside as a result of it was “constructed extra on sensationalism than a stable authorized foundation,” Brenecki opined.
“RICO expenses require proof of an ongoing felony enterprise with coordinated exercise by a number of actors, not simply deviant events and disgruntled ex-girlfriends,” she mentioned.
“Add to that the dearth of paper trails, cooperating witnesses contained in the alleged ‘enterprise,’ or any clear hierarchy of felony position, and also you’re left with smoke, however no fireplace — and a not responsible verdict follows.”
David Schwartz, a New York Metropolis-based trial lawyer and former prosecutor, agreed that the prostitution expenses have been the strongest.
“The case was overcharged and the jury received this one precisely proper,” Schwartz mentioned.
Combs’ protection staff, against this, “owned” the unhealthy details within the case and it “paid off” for the hip-hop mogul, mentioned Anna Cominsky, a professor at New York Regulation College.
“This trial was a significant gamble and Combs received that wager,” she mentioned.
“Every little thing is stacked towards the defendant going right into a federal case, particularly one like this. His attorneys have been good and so they owned the unhealthy details. They fought on the issues that mattered and it paid off.”
The federal prosecution workplace that oversaw the Combs case launched a press release Wednesday that “intercourse crimes deeply scar victims” — with out commenting immediately on the decision.
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“Intercourse crimes deeply scar victims, and the disturbing actuality is that intercourse crimes are all too current in lots of facets of our society,” US Legal professional for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton and Particular Agent in Cost of the New York Area Workplace of Homeland Safety Investigations Ricky Patel wrote.
“Victims endure gut-wrenching bodily and psychological abuse, resulting in lasting trauma,” the assertion added. “New Yorkers and all Individuals need this scourge stopped and perpetrators introduced to justice.”
The assertion didn’t immediately handle the jury’s determination to acquit Combs on extra severe racketeering and intercourse trafficking expenses and convict him solely on lesser prostitution raps.
