As Cassie’s cross-examination in Diddy’s federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial enters its second day, the government is asking for the court to step in and ensure that this part of the process doesn’t drag on through the weekend. In fact, per a filing viewed by Complex on Friday, it sounds like the government is worried that not limiting the cross-examination to two days could lead to a defense-benefitting outcome, namely a mistrial.
The latter possibility, as detailed in a three-page document filed Friday and addressed to United States District Judge Arun Subramanian, is connected to the potential for Cassie, who is currently pregnant, to go into labor. Furthermore, the government has concerns about a weekend carryover allowing the defense to get the upper hand with “an additional two days to review transcripts of the witness’s testimony to prepare additional cross-examination inquiry.”
Criticized by the government again is the defense’s recent move to produce hundreds of exhibits, with attorney Jay Clayton arguing that this was seemingly “a strategic choice” on the part of Diddy’s legal team. The defense’s approach to cross-examining Cassie is also criticized, with Clayton pointing to what he argues is “a highly inefficient manner” of questioning, citing the apparent inclusion of details related more to the civil suits against Diddy, not the federal case itself.
In response to these concerns, and related worries of a lengthy cross-examination process, the government is asking for cross-examination to come to a close by 4:30 p.m. local time on Friday, May 16. In addition to the reasons given above, prosecutors say that limiting cross-examination to two full days, which they note is still several hours longer than Cassie’s testimony, would protect her from “harassment” and “embarrassment.” Intervening in this manner, the government further argued, would not interfere with Diddy’s constitutional rights.
“Cross-examination that lasts multiple hours longer than direct examination is more than enough to vindicate the defendant’s confrontation rights and satisfy any relevant defense strategy,” Clayton wrote in the letter. “No more is required, and any more risks harassing the witness at best and a mistrial at worst. In short, there is ample reason to limit the length of Ms. Ventura’s cross-examination and the Court should do so here.”
The defense previously raised their own concerns about Cassie’s cross-examination, arguing earlier this week that she shouldn’t be allowed to consult with her lawyers during questioning. As for the testimony itself, Cassie was on the stand for two days, during which she detailed more than a decade of alleged abuse and coercion.
Diddy is specifically accused of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution. The Bad Boy Records founder, who was first arrested in New York last September, has denied the allegations.
