Sean ‘Diddy‘ Combs bombshell sex-trafficking and racketeering trial is underway in New York City for the third week.
The disgraced music mogul, 55, has put his notorious charisma on full display, chatting to his lawyers and making heart signs to the audience as he hears the prosecution describe him as the head of a criminal enterprise focused on fulfilling his sexual fantasies.
Jurors have heard from over a dozen witnesses, including Diddy’s ex-girlfriend and main accuser Cassie Ventura, as well as his former band mate Dawn Richard, the rapper Kid Cudi and his ex-assistant Capricorn Clark.
Much of the case presented by prosecutors so far has revolved around accusations that Combs physically and sexually abused Cassie for years, and coerced her into sexual encounters called ‘freak-offs’ with men who were paid thousands of dollars to have sex with her.
Diddy denies all allegations against him. His lawyers admit he’s a woman beater – although he does not face domestic abuse charges – but that he is not guilty of sex trafficking or racketeering.
Diddy’s lawyers ask for mistrial after LA official says someone destroyed Kid Cudi evidence
Diddy’s lawyers have asked the judge for a mistrial after arguing the prosecution made an unacceptable suggestion in front of the jury.
The defense said it was ‘outrageous’ when prosecutors appeared to suggest the mogul had destroyed fingerprints taken from Kid Cudi’s house after the January, 2012 bombing of his car.
Prosecutors had asked LAFD official Lance Jimenez about the fingerprints, and he said the evidence was destroyed in August 2012.
Jimenez said ‘somebody within LAPD’ authorized the destruction of the evidence.
This is when Diddy’s team objected.
‘They know what they were doing,’ the defense said of prosecutors.
‘They were suggesting that someone in this courtroom has something to do with improper and suspicious destruction of these fingerprint cards and that’s outrageous.’
The attorneys added: ‘The only proper remedy to cure the outrageous prejudice is a mistrial.’
However, the defense’s motion for a mistrial was denied.
By GERMANIA RODRIGUEZ/Daily Mail
