Unsurprisingly, there have been a lot of disagreements in the federal criminal trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs. The defense and prosecutors continue to clash with each other over how to proceed with their missions, and what the other side can bring into the fold.
In the most recent example of this, federal authorities responded to Sean Combs' legal team's request to exclude the Cassie footage from the trial, per Billboard. This refers to the video of Diddy physically assaulting Cassie in a hotel hallway. The defense claimed alleged editing and media manipulation increased the footage's risk to "unfairly confuse and mislead the jury."
In a Friday (April 25) filing, prosecutors reportedly called these reasons "overblown" and labeled the defense's move as a "desperate" ploy to downplay "crushing" evidence. They believe Diddy wants to hide this footage because it would expose viewers to "some of the most damning evidence of his sex trafficking."
"The defendant has been overwhelmingly concerned with the existence of the video surveillance since the assault occurred and has taken great measures to ensure it was not released," prosecutors reportedly claimed. "Now facing trial, the defendant attempts to keep this devastating proof from the jury. His grasping arguments to preclude this crushing evidence should be quickly dismissed."
What Are Diddy's Charges?
For those unaware, Diddy's federal criminal trial centers around three main charges and allegations. These are sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution. In addition, the case circles around alleged "freak-off" parties to buy folks' silence, subject alleged victims to various crimes, and "fulfill his sexual desires," according to the indictment's accusations. If convicted on all charges, the Bad Boy mogul faces a possible life sentence in prison.
Jury selection will begin on May 5 and precede opening statements on May 12. That is, if everything goes according to the current schedule at press time.
Elsewhere, fans speculated about Diddy's condition behind bars. His legal team continues to target this Cassie footage despite the prosecution's insistence. But we still have to wait for a judge to rule on the matter. We will see if this will show up as alleged evidence.
