Diddy Trial – Day 2
Diddy’s lawyer, Mark Geragos, is facing heat from federal prosecutors who want him reprimanded for speaking publicly about the criminal case during his trial.
Although Geragos hasn’t officially joined the defense team—he hasn’t filed a notice of appearance—he’s been advising Diddy and was seen in court during jury selection, which started on Monday (May 5).
Prosecutors say that’s a problem, especially since he’s been yapping about the case on his podcast 2 Angry Men, which was co-hosted with TMZ founder Harvey Levin.
In a court filing, the government asked the judge to formally warn Geragos for potentially violating rules that bar attorneys involved in a criminal trial from making public statements that could sway jurors or impact the fairness of the proceedings.
It applies even during jury selection.
The government’s complaint zeroes in on a May 2 episode of Geragos’ podcast, where he made several pointed remarks about the case.
He called surveillance footage from the Intercontinental Hotel “character assassination,” criticized the prosecution’s team as looking like they’re “prosecuting a cause,” and previewed a possible defense strategy by saying, “the defendant has a violent temper and especially, I think, when you combine it with the drug use, but that isn’t what he’s charged with.”
Geragos also told listeners he would “be back next week to discuss further,” signaling plans to keep talking about the trial while it’s ongoing.
Prosecutors argue that Geragos’ public commentary could taint the jury pool and jeopardize the integrity of the trial.
They also pointed out that Diddy’s legal team had previously complained about lawyers for government witnesses making public statements, yet now one of their advisors is doing the same.
The government is asking the judge to remind Geragos and his firm of their responsibilities under the rule and to stop any further public commentary that could interfere with the trial.
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