Journalists come under fire covering L.A. protests
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Associated Press
11 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Prosecutors say Sean 'Diddy' Combs' request for acquittal or new trial should be swiftly rejected
NEW YORK (AP) — Federal prosecutors are urging a federal judge to quickly reject Sean 'Diddy' Combs ' request that he throw out a jury verdict or order a new trial after a jury convicted the music maven of two prostitution-related charges. Prosecutors said in papers filed shortly before midnight Wednesday that Combs masterminded elaborate sexual events for two ex-girlfriends between 2008 and last year that involved hiring male sex workers who sometimes were required to cross multiple state lines to participate. A jury in July exonerated the Bad Boy Records founder of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges that carried the potential penalty of a mandatory 15 years in prison up to life behind bars. But it convicted him of two lesser Mann Act charges that prohibit interstate commerce related to prostitution. The Mann Act charges each carry a potential penalty of 10 years behind bars. Combs has been denied bail despite his lawyers' arguments that their client should face little to no additional jail time for the convictions. Prosecutors said he must serve multiple years behind bars. Combs has been in a federal jail in Brooklyn since his September arrest at a Manhattan hotel. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 3. Prosecutors wrote that Combs' attorneys were mistaken when they contended in a submission to the judge late last month that the Mann Act was unduly vague and violates his due process and First Amendment rights. 'Evidence of the defendant's guilt on the Mann Act counts was overwhelming,' prosecutors wrote. They noted that the multiday, drug-fueled sexual marathons that Combs demanded of his girlfriends involved hiring male sex workers and facilitating their travel across multiple states for what became known as 'freak-offs' or 'hotel nights.' Prosecutors said he then used video recordings he made of the sexual events to threaten and coerce the girlfriends to continue participating in the sometimes weekly or monthly sexual meetings. 'At trial, there was ample evidence to support the jury's convictions,' prosecutors said. They said Combs 'masterminded every aspect' of the sexual meetups, paying escorts to travel across the country to participate and directing the sexual activity that took place between the men and his girlfriends 'for his own sexual gratification' while sometimes joining in. Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura, an R&B artist who dated Combs from 2008 through 2018, testified during the trial that Combs sometimes demanded the sexual meetups with male escorts every week, often leaving her too exhausted to work on her music career. She said she participated in hundreds of 'freak-offs.' A woman who testified under the pseudonym 'Jane' said she participated in 'hotel nights' when she dated Combs from 2021 to last September and that the events sometimes lasted multiple days and required her to have sex with male sex workers, even when she was not well. Both women testified that Combs had threatened to release videos he made of the encounters as a way of controlling their behavior. 'During these relationships, he asserted substantial control over Ventura and Jane's lives. Specifically, he controlled and threatened Ventura's career, controlled her appearance, and paid for most of her living expenses, taking away physical items when she did not do what he wanted,' prosecutors wrote. 'The defendant similarly paid Jane's $10,000 rent and threatened her that he would stop paying her rent if she did not comply with his demands,' they said. In their submission requesting acquittal or a new trial, Combs' lawyers argued that none of the elements normally used for Mann Act convictions, including profiting from sex work or coercion, existed. 'It is undisputed that he had no commercial motive and that all involved were adults,' the lawyers said. 'The men chose to travel and engage in the activity voluntarily. The verdict confirms the women were not vulnerable or exploited or trafficked or sexually assaulted.' The lawyers said that Combs, 'at most, paid to engage in voyeurism as part of a 'swingers' lifestyle' and argued that 'does not constitute 'prostitution' under a properly limited definition of the statutory term.'
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Man charged with killing an ‘American Idol' exec and husband will undergo mental evaluation
A man charged with fatally shooting an 'American Idol' music supervisor and her husband in their Los Angeles home will undergo mental evaluation to determine whether he's fit to stand trial, a judge ruled Wednesday. Raymond Boodarian, 22, was set to be arraigned in a courthouse in Los Angeles but did not enter a plea. A judge suspended the criminal proceedings against him while a psychiatrist examines him to determine his competency. He's charged with two counts of murder in the killing of longtime 'American Idol' producer Robin Kaye and her husband Thomas Deluca, both 70, who were shot when they came home unexpectedly during a burglary on July 10. A judge at a court that specializes in mental health will consider the evaluation and decide whether Boodarian will proceed toward trial or be placed in a state hospital. Boodarian stood behind a window in a custody area of the courtroom, and appeared to try to remain out of sight. His attorney declined comment, and the district attorney's office had no immediate comment. Boodarian will undergo the same evaluation in the same small courthouse on Hollywood Boulevard where a man charged with stalking Jennifer Aniston and driving into the front gate of her home was recently found to be not competent to go to trial. Police said they responded to a 911 call about a burglary at the home of Kaye and Deluca in the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles. Police said they found no sign of forced entry or other trouble and left. Four days later the couple's bodies were found, shot to death, when officers carried out a welfare check at the home. Boodarian was arrested the following day. District Attorney Nathan Hochman later said in a community meeting that investigators believe the couple arrived home unexpectedly while Boodarian was burglarizing it. He shot them with their own gun and later called 911 himself, Hochman said. Kaye had been with 'American Idol' for more than 15 years and was working on the upcoming season of the hit singing competition TV series at the time of her death. She had also worked in the music departments of several other productions, including 'The Singing Bee,' 'Hollywood Game Night,' 'Lip Sync Battle,' and several Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants.
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'I heard a ‘pop' and I hear Officer O scream': Emotional testimony in preliminary hearing in shooting death of Maui police officer
WAILUKU, Maui (KHON2) — It was an emotional day in the Maui District Court. The man accused of fatally shooting police officer Suzanne O appeared in court for his preliminary hearing. Courtroom packed as suspect in officer's death appears before judge Today's hearing marked the first time we've heard details of how prosecutors believe the deadly shooting unfolded. Maui police officer Mousa Kawas responded to the terroristic threatening call in Paia and said he told Officer Suzanne O to check around a concrete block because he couldn't see around it. He broke down on the stand describing the moment he saw his colleague, Officer O, go down. 'I heard a 'pop' and I hear Officer O scream and I turn to face her and she turns around and faces us, grabs her chest and falls to the ground,' said Kawas, stopping several times to catch his breath and wipe away tears. The officers were responding to the call from Paia Sugar Mill worker Tim Willems, who described his confrontation with Kaneholani. 'He's looking right at me, telling me to turn off the light with his right hand, telling me to turn off the light, turn off the light, fires right at me, looking right directly at the light,' said Willems. Clembert Kaneholani, dressed in an orange jumpsuit and shackles, kept his eyes down for much of the hearing. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news The 38-year-old is charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder and five firearms offenses for the shooting death of Maui Officer Suzanne O last Friday. Prosecutors presented the guns Kaneholani allegedly used in the shooting. His public defender argued that the state's case relies heavily on eyewitness statements and circumstantial evidence. 'It was a decent possibility that the person you were illuminating or that area you were illuminating that person could have crawled away and left the property, you thought that was a decent possibility as well?' asked Deputy Public Defender Zachary Raidmae. 'Yes,' responded Willems. Legal analysts say the charges Kaneholani faces are among the most serious in Hawaii's law. 'This is a police officer involved shooting where the police officer was a victim, and so the charge that applies to this case is murder in the first degree. It's the highest charge that we have in the state of Hawaii. It's punishable by life in prison without the possibility of parole,' said Attorney Megan Kau. Today's gallery is once again filled with Maui police officers. Officer O is the first Maui officer in 70 years to be killed in the line of duty. A five-year member of the force, Chief John Pelletier told us earlier this week that his department is still grieving, but determined to see the case through. 'It's not just showing up today. It's showing up each and every day, and we'll continue to do that,' said Chief Pelletier. 'The things I've been talking about for almost four years now – about making sure that you're part of something bigger than just yourself — I think you're gonna see that today. But they're very much wanting to make sure that justice is done for her, and we're gonna be relentless in our pursuit of it, I can assure you of that.' Check out more news from around Hawaii The hearing will continue on Friday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
