The persecution and defense rest; Combs confirms a decision not to testify

After more than a month of graphic testimony of nearly three dozen witnesses, including ex-girlfriend, former assistants, hotel staff, law enforcement agents, male escorts and a rival rapper, the process of sex trade in Sean “Diddy” Combs is approaching.

The persecution rested his business on Tuesday afternoon after the 34th and final witness, Joseph Cerciello, a special agent at Homeland Security Investigations, concluded his third day on the standard.

Less than two hours later, the defense rested without witnesses – including the defendant – to call the stands. Combs confirmed to the court that it was his decision not to testify.

“That is completely my decision,” Combs told right Arun Subramanian.

Close arguments have been set for Thursday, followed by jury considerations.

Federal Public Prosecutors say that Combs has already abused, endangered and hassle with drugs to participate in drug -controlled marathon sexual encounters called “Freak offs” and his business empire, together with weapons, kidnapping and arson, to hide his crimes. His lawyers argued that the meetings were consensual and Combs did not deny misconduct.

The 55-year-old hip-hop-mogul is confronted with five criminal counts: one count of racketeering-sambering, two counts of sex trade with violence, fraud or coercion and two transport counts to enter into prostitution. If convicted, he could face life in prison.

Here are some important collection restaurants of this week's legal proceedings that have been demolished from various reporters and news organizations in the courtroom, including CNN” NBC NewsAnd The Washington Post.

Combs confirms that he has decided not to testify because the defense is based without calling witnesses

After he had submitted some exhibitions as proof, the defense rested the case without calling witnesses.

After chief lawyer Marc Agnifilo, the court of her decision did not told the suspect to the stand, Subramanian turned to combs to ask how he felt.

“I am great, thank you, general,” said Combs and added: “You do an excellent job.”

“Is it your decision not to testify?” Subramanian asked Combs.

“That is my decision, that is completely my decision,” said Combs, adding that he and his lawyers had “thoroughly” discussed it.

Combs appears in sexually explicit 'freak off' videos, says Special Agent says

Cerciello, a summary witness for the persecution, testified about the evidence collected by the police in her research, including telephone records, SMS reports and videos of the 'Freak Offs'.

Combs appears in some of the 50 sexually explicit videos collected by federal agents, Cerciello said.

The jury wore headphones while looking at scenes on screens that were not visible to the rest of the court.

It is not clear whether combs were in the clips that the jury saw.

Big Picture: Although the explicit videos were an important part of the government's presentation, the defense also played “freak off” images for the jury, probably in an attempt to prove that the encounters were consensual.

Combs left an urgent voicemail for his staff chef and said he no longer had baby oil

The jury saw SMS messages and heard voicemails comb left for employees who asked for various “freak off” supplies, including cialis, astroglide, coconut water -even vegetable soup.

In a voice message of November 2021, Combs are heard that Kristina Khorram, his Chef, says that he no longer has baby oil, one of his favorite lubricants used during “Freak Offs”.

“I can't believe I'm gone,” Combs told Khorram in the Voicemail.

Khorram, in turn, ensured Kamming that a new delivery would soon stay outside his door.

Similar SMS messages between combs and Khorram about supplementing lubricant were also shown in court.

Big Picture: According to the indictment, federal agents seized “more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant” during FBI raids of Combs's Homes in Miami and Los Angeles. And photos taken of the FBIs in March 2024 invaded Combs's LA-Huis that he preserved 200 bottles of baby oil in cupboards, loading and a apparent case preserved with a fluid-controlled case comparable to a cigar skin.

Combs asked Cowboys 4 Angels to not increase his rate because he was an old customer

While Cerciello was on the standard, SMS messages in evidence include an exchange between a representative for the male escort agency Cowboys 4 Angels and Combs, who asked that the company did not raise his rate because he was an old customer.

“Stop increasing my rate, I am a long timer,” wrote Combs in a chat with a cowboys 4 angels -representative named Bridget on September 26, 2023. The agent announced the combs that the speed was not determined by the company, but by the escorts themselves. Combs said it was ok and asked at 1 o'clock an escort named Cody to the Trump International Hotel & Tower New York

In another exchange, Bridget Combs stated in the message that there was an error with a cash payment and that he owed $ 600.

“LOL he couldn't even perform,” Combs replied.

The agent told Combs that the costs are based on time and not on service. “Whether you dive or dance Sky,” she wrote, “you pay for his time.”

Big Picture: Under cross -intersection, Cerciello testified that some of the costs and invoices with regard to “freak offs” were collected as evidence, including flights and hotel enclosures for male escorts, were mentioned as paid by Combs personally, who undermine the allegations of the prosecutor that combs used his business imperium to make them.

What some of the most important witnesses said in their testimony

Here are some of the most important people who have previously testified in the process for the government and what they said.

• Cassie Ventura: Ventura took the position for more than 20 hours and told the court that her decade -long relationship with combs was often characterized by violence and physical abuse, and described in detail the drug -driven “freak offs” that days would last to recover. Jury members were also shown a security video of 2016 of combs that Ventura hits, kicked and dragged in the corridor of a hotel in Los Angeles. The defense team presented hundreds of SMS messages between Ventura and Combs from their entire relationship in an attempt to show that Ventura was a consensual participant in the “Freak Offs”, sometimes even plans themselves.

• Eddy Garcia: A former security officer in the Intercontinental Hotel in Los Angeles, Garcia testified that Combs paid him $ 100,000 cash in a brown paper bag and also had him signed a non -public making agreement in exchange for the surveillance images. “Eddy, my angel, I knew you could help,” Combs told Garcia, according to the witness.

• “Mia”: A witness under a pseudonym described a former assistant a moving and “poisonous” working environment dominated by the “unpredictable and frightening” behavior of combs, told the court that he has sexually abused her physically and sexually. She also said he threatened to tell Ventura that they had slept together.

• “Jane”: Also witnesses under a pseudonym, another ex-girlfriend and an alleged victim of Combs told in tears about the moving sexual encounters she knew as “hotel nights”-the court tell that she felt obliged to “perform” sexual acts for combs because he paid her rent. She also testified about a brutal attack that she had endured before Combs ordered her to hide her injuries and take ecstasy for a spontaneous 'hotel night'. But despite the alleged abuse, Jane said that she still loves Combs, who, according to her bisexuality, has explored how she has sex with other men.

'Jane' told a sex worker that she would like to have a 'freak off' in text shown to the jury

During Cross Exercise, texts showed the jury reports between Jane, various male escorts and combs.

In some of them she seemed to help comb the “freak offs” or “hotel evenings”. In others she sent warm messages to the male escorts with whom she had sex before coming.

“You are such a sweetheart,” Jane wrote to one of the escorts after one of their meetings. “Thank you for making me feel beautiful.”

In another exchange, Jane told a sex worker that they were 'one for the books' the night before, and that she was enthusiastic for another.

“Damn, darling, you are so hot,” she wrote. 'You want to come back tonight or TMW morning[?]”

In an SMS interview in September 2023 about setting up the travel packages of a male escort for a 'hotel night', Jane told Combs: “I love Kinky for you.”

Big Picture: The defense continued to emphasize cases in which women who are said to be “abused, threatened and forced”, happily and willing to participate in the “freak offs”.

What is the following

Subramanian said he will meet, which is known as a complaint conference, or a meeting between a judge and lawyers to complete the jury instructions on Wednesday.

Close arguments will follow on Thursday. Lawyers for both the persecution and the defense told Subramanian that they expect their sums to take about four hours each.

Jury trips start Thursday or Friday.