Sean “Diddy” Combs‘ weeks-long sex trafficking and racketeering trial is winding down, with the jury expected to begin deliberating by the end of this week.
The schedule was laid out by both sides and Judge Arun Subramanian at the end of court proceedings on Monday (June 23).
Cross-examination of the government’s final witness, HSI Special Agent Joseph Cerciello, is expected to take up the early part of Tuesday.
Once the government rests, the next section of Tuesday will be devoted to Rule 29 motions — attempts by the defense to argue that the government’s evidence is insufficient, and either part or all of the case should be dismissed before it goes to the jury.
After that, the defense will present its case. Diddy’s defense team made clear that they will finish up by the end of the day Tuesday.
It is unknown as of this writing how many, if any, witnesses Diddy’s team will call. Leading up to and during the course of the proceedings, they have mentioned a number of possible witnesses, including the mogul’s longtime head of human resources Vashta Dunlap, forensic psychiatrists Dr. Alexander Bardey and Dr. Elie Aoun, forensic video expert Conor McCourt and, most recently, a paralegal from the defense team itself, who would be brought on not to testify about direct knowledge of anything about the case, but instead as a way to get in evidence that hasn’t yet been introduced.
Last week People‘s Danielle Bacher broke the news that Combs himself would not be testifying.
Wednesday is scheduled to be taken up by a charge conference, where the judge will finalize the instructions to be given to the jury.
On Thursday, closing arguments are set to begin. They are expected to continue into Friday. Diddy attorney Teny Geragos estimated on Monday that her side’s closing will take “at least four hours,” and she expected the government’s to be around the same length.
Once closing arguments finish, likely on Friday, the jury is expected to be charged, and then deliberations will begin. The mogul is facing five counts: racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking of Cassie Ventura, transportation with intent to commit prostitution (relating to Cassie), sex trafficking of Jane Doe, and transportation with intent to commit prostitution (relating to Jane).
Jury selection for the trial began on May 5, and testimony started a week later.
