The high-profile, high-stakes criminal trial of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is moving towards its conclusion, with the Prosecution wrapping their more than 6 weeks, and a defense’s case that is supposed to last only two days, followed by the final arguments by the Government and Diddy’s lawyers.
But there’s still one bump on the road for the to rule upon.
Today (24), prosecutors in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ trial have rested their case, and Judge Arun Subramanian has dismissed the jury for a lunch break, while he rules on yet another Rule 29 motion by the defense – he has already denied one.
CNN reported:
“Defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro made a defense motion for a judgement of acquittal on all counts, arguing that the government failed to meet its burden to prove the counts against Combs.
About this motion: This is a routine Rule 29 motion that is typically made by the defense in a criminal trial after the government rests its case. A Rule 29 motion is a defendant’s motion for an acquittal on the grounds that the government didn’t present enough evidence for the jury to reasonably convict the defendant.”
Diddy’s attorney Alexandra Shapiro is going count-by-count, explaining to the Judge how the defense believes prosecutors did not prove each alleged crime.
“For the racketeering conspiracy count, she said prosecutors failed to show that anybody conspired with Sean “Diddy” Combs.
‘There’s, at best, thin proof that any of the other employees willingly participated in crimes with and for Mr. Combs’, she said, adding that the exception was procuring small quantities of drugs for Combs’ personal use.
Shapiro said his assistants ‘didn’t know much, if anything, about what went on between Mr. Combs and his girlfriends in the hotel rooms’.”
Combs’ Shapiro: At most these were personal quantities of drugs. They used a lot of Astroglide and baby oil and drank, maybe some drugs. Jonathan Perez said hotel nights were personal time with a female. Brendan Paul said, Hotel for the night
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) June 24, 2025
She argued that Diddy hid the nature of the sexual activity he was engaging in from his employees, and it was Cassie Ventura and ‘Jane’ who booked the escorts, and not any Combs’ employees.
(This does not take into consideration that Cassie was a signed artist to his music label.)
A Rule 29 motion is routinely made by the defense in a criminal trial after the government rests its case.
It’s a motion for an acquittal arguing that the government didn’t present enough evidence for the jury to reasonably convict the defendant.
These motions, the CNN report reminds us, are almost always denied.
Read below: Diddey’s lawyer tries to suggest that his buying of the hotel footage from his beating of Cassie, along with members of security team, are not such a big deal:
Combs’ Shapiro: Mr. Combs was seeking to avoid negative publicity, for both himself and Ms. Ventura. There was no police involvement. The guard who testified said Ms. Ventura did not want to report it. Ms. Ventura said the same thing, as did Kerry Morgan
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) June 24, 2025
Read more:
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Trial: Defense Will Reportedly Present Evidence, but WILL NOT CALL ANY WITNESSES – Closing Arguments Set for Thursday
Read the full article here