Diddy trial judge meets with lawyers to discuss jury instructions
Today, Judge Arun Subramanian and the attorneys on both sides of the case held what's known as a charge conference — a meeting where the key players finalize instructions for the jury. (The jurors, who have spent much of the last seven weeks listening to testimony and reviewing evidence, got a day off.)
Subramanian opened the conference by announcing that prosecutors and defense lawyers had agreed on language for the verdict form. He then turned his attention to the charge sheet, a document that explains the counts against the defendant. The judge gave the attorneys a chance to raise objections page by page, line by line, word by word.
In other news: U.S. government prosecutors are tightening their case against Diddy. In a letter filed yesterday, they asked the judge to strike language regarding 'attempted' kidnapping and arson from jury instructions. NBC News' David K. Li has more details here.
The stage is now set for closing arguments. Reminder: U.S. government prosecutors are seeking to convict Diddy on three charges — racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. Diddy has pleaded not guilty, and his lawyers have insisted he was never the head of an alleged criminal enterprise.
🔎 The view from inside
By Adam Reiss, Chloe Melas, Katherine Koretski and Jing Feng
Subramanian seemed surprised — or maybe just amused — by the number of reporters who showed up for today's charge conference. 'This is the most people I have seen at a charge conference,' the judge said. 'Buckle in!'
👨⚖️ Analysis: Why charge conferences matter
By Danny Cevallos
The charge conference might seem dry, but it's one of the most critical stages of the trial.
It's tedious to spend the day nitpicking about whether to add a word or a comma to an instruction about consent or payment for sex. At the same time, these words are arguably much more important than anything the lawyers say in their closings. The jurors are told that what the lawyers say is not evidence. They are told that the jury instructions are the law.
So, the charge conference is sometimes marked by long periods of boredom, punctuated by moments of terror — often wondering if the terminology that just found its way into the instructions will make the difference between a guilty verdict or an acquittal.
Especially for trial lawyers, who have just completed the performative, adrenaline-fueled examinations of witnesses for weeks, suddenly sitting down for a day and quietly staring at reams of paper can be something of a crash. And, while they are likely all looking ahead and focusing on their closing arguments, the charge conference may be where the battle is truly won or lost.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
7 days ago
- The Guardian
Fort Stewart shooting suspect was relentlessly mocked for stutter, soldiers say
A friend of the man accused of gunning down five fellow soldiers at the Fort Stewart army base in Georgia earlier this week recounted how the suspect had been repeatedly bullied for having a serious stutter, according to a news report. Meanwhile, soldiers who acted swiftly to suppress the gunman and prevent the possibility of a much higher death toll were being hailed as heroes for their bravery in the terrifying moments after shots rang out on the sprawling military base on Wednesday morning. The man in custody for the shooting, Sgt Quornelius Radford, 28, was relentlessly mocked and mimicked for his speech impediment, from the earliest days of his army career, NBC News reported on Thursday. 'He got bullied a lot. It was very bad to the point where he could barely talk,' Sgt Cameron Barrett, 28, a friend of Radford's, said in an interview with the TV network. No motive has been officially discussed in the aftermath of the incident, amid the criminal investigation, in which five service members were wounded by gunfire and rushed to hospital, although they are expected to recover. Another soldier who had worked alongside Radford earlier in his career said that the sergeant had also lost a loved one in a traffic accident in January, and had taken it hard. The suspect's father has said his son complained of experiencing racism. When initial reports that there was a shooting began to reach soldiers on the base south-east of Savannah, Barrett said to NBC that he messaged Radford to ask if he was alright, but did not get a response. Meanwhile, Sgt Aaron Turner recounted to the Associated Press that he was helping lock down a supply warehouse at Fort Stewart when he saw a fellow soldier walking past, wearing a hooded sweatshirt over his uniform and holding a handgun – after shots had already been fired. Instead of ducking for cover, Turner said, he approached the gunman and started talking – asking what he was doing there and where he was heading. When he got close enough, Turner grabbed the soldier's gun and took him to the floor, where soldiers held him down until military police arrived. 'I was able to keep a cool head, but pretty much my training ended up kicking in,' Turner said on Thursday. 'It wasn't about my life at that point. It was about the soldiers.' The US army secretary, Dan Driscoll, came to Fort Stewart on Thursday to praise Turner and five other soldiers for their quick actions in subduing the gunman to prevent further bloodshed and rendering life-saving aid to the victims. Driscoll awarded each of them the meritorious service medal. 'The fast action of these soldiers under stress and under trauma and under fire absolutely saved lives from being lost,' Driscoll told a news conference afterward. Authorities say Radford used a personal handgun in the shootings, not a service weapon. Fort Stewart officials have not said why he opened fire, citing the criminal investigation. Radford worked as a supply sergeant assigned to the 703rd brigade support battalion of the third infantry's 2nd armored brigade at Fort Stewart, the largest US army post east of the Mississippi River, and home to thousands of soldiers. The battalion's commander, Lt Col Mike Sanford, said on Thursday that he's unaware of any problems with Radford or arguments that preceded the shootings. 'Right now, there's no signs that there was an issue,' Sanford said in an interview. Radford's father, Eddie Radford of Jacksonville, Florida, said in an interview with the New York Times that his son had sought a transfer and complained to his family about racism at the base. Radford, who is Black, texted an aunt shortly before the shooting and 'said that he loved everybody, and that he'll be in a better place because he was about to go and do something', Eddie Radford said. Sgt Carlos Coleman, who worked with Radford early on after the latter joined the army in 2018, also spoke to NBC about the man's stutter. 'It was easy for those people to make fun of him for the way he spoke. After that, he really didn't speak that much,' he said.
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Daily Mail
Diddy's ex Cassie Ventura returns to social media for first time since giving birth... after painful testimony
Cassie Ventura made her return to social media on Thursday after giving birth in May. The 38-year-old singer reposted a humorous video to her Instagram Stories after sharing her last Instagram post on April 19 of this year and welcoming her third child with her husband Alex Fine on May 27. The post, which included a comment from Ventura, appeared to also be her first Instagram activity since her emotional testimony against her abusive ex-boyfriend Sean 'Diddy' Combs, 55, just weeks before she gave birth. Diddy has denied her claims and has maintained his innocence. The jury ultimately acquitted the rap mogul of the most serious charges, but did convict him in July of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, relating to Ventura and an anonymous woman referred to as 'Jane' at trial. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for each count, though prosecutors have indicated that sentencing guidelines suggest a little over 5 years maximum. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jen Kearney • Newborn, Baby & Toddler Sleep Consultant 💤 (@momswithplans) Diddy's request for bail was once again denied earlier this week, meaning he will have to wait in jail until his sentencing, which is scheduled for October 3. Ventura made her return to Instagram by reposting a video originally shared by Jen Kearney, who bills herself as a baby and toddler sleep consultant. The video, which was soundtracked with DJKhaled and Rihanna's song Wild Thoughts, featured a group of people standing outdoors for a gathering. Suddenly a man dressed in a white button-up shirt stars dancing, even as the rest of the people around him stand perfectly still. 'When your old self slowly starts coming out postpartum,' read the caption on the original clip. Ventura weighed in with her own comment to her Insta Stories repost: 'Factual. Little by little lol.' She appeared to be thinking about getting back into the swing of things after giving birth to her two-month-old son, whose name has not yet been reported. She and Fine share two other children, daughters Frankie, five, and Sunny, four. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Casandra Fine (@cassie) Ventura and Diddy began dating back in 2007, though they reportedly broke up in late 2015 and again in the summer of 2016, before their final split sometime in 2018; pictured in 2017 in NYC The performer announced her pregnancy with her littlest boy in February via a series of black-and-white family portraits in which she showcased her growing baby bump. Ventura and Fine, a personal trainer, got engaged in August 2019 and tied the knot the following month with a ceremony held in Malibu, California. The two began dating sometime after the end of Ventura's on–off relationship with Diddy in 2018, which wasn't announced until October of that year. Ventura and Diddy began dating back in 2007, though they reportedly broke up in late 2015 and again in the summer of 2016, before their final split. During Diddy's trial on charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, Ventura testified that the rapper had subjected her to beatings and deviant sexual manipulation during the course of their relationship. During her tearful testimony, she accused Diddy of forcing her to masturbate while looking at a male prostitute and describing what she saw to Diddy, who would watch the encounters. 'It was always awkward… sitting describing someone's penis to another male was pretty awkward and humiliating but eventually it became normal. It would lead to intercourse,' she claimed. Ventura said Combs and the male escort would sometimes both have sex with her, while at other times only the escort would while her boyfriend instead watched. Shockingly, Ventura alleged that the escorts could only ejaculate when given the OK by Diddy, and afterward he had her go into a separate room with her to 'put the semen on his body… usually on his chest, on his nipples.' Ventura also gave a dramatic account of the infamous 2016 hotel hallway surveillance video that shows her trying to leave a freak off in the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles' Century City neighborhood. The video shows Combs — who is wearing only a white towel — punching and kicking Ventura before she is able to get on the elevator to safety, then dragging her back to the hotel room where the freak off party was held.
Daily Mail
07-08-2025
- Daily Mail
British chicken shop blasted for 'distasteful and disrespectful' menu item as people say it's 'turning sexual abuse into merch'
A British chicken vendor has been accused of 'turning sexual abuse into merch' after seemingly naming a sauce after the highly-publicised P Diddy trial, which saw the disgraced music mogul convicted of transportation for prostitution. The brand Ginger Wings is facing backlash on social media after horrified customers revealed they were touting branding for a 'Freak Off Baby Oil' flavouring at a food festival this summer. Customers hit out at the 'distasteful' reference to the court case, during which federal agents claimed that they confiscated '1,000 bottles' of baby oil and lubricant from Sean 'Diddy' Combs' homes in Miami and Los Angeles, as part of a raid linked to a probe into a sex trafficking empire he was accused but eventually acquitted of. Elsewhere, the 'freak offs' refer to sex parties that the rapper's ex girlfriend Cassie told the trial she was forced to take part in, which she testified resulted in violent and brutal attacks. Outraged TikTok comments came in response of a video from influencer @manlikesophia who posted about the 'gross' reference on her account. 'Maybe I'm too woke but I don't find abuse funny,' she wrote in the caption. 'The court documents are available for you to read what women were forced to do. 'There are so many things I could write about this and the fact it was approved is disgusting.' Footage from 'Wingfest' - a popular British chicken wing 'showdown' - showed stickers advertising for 'Freak Off Baby Oil'. Outraged TikTok comments came in response of a video from influencer @manlikesophia who posted about the 'gross' reference on her account While any trace of the branding looks to have been deleted from Ginger Wings' site and menu, social media comments suggest they were selling food named after the horrific trial 'for three days and no one else said anything'. The company's 'award winning' selection of flavours features a number of innuendos, with the likes of dishes like 'Keep Your Cloves On' being some of the tamest. 'Incredibly disrespectful to victims,' one penned in social media reaction. 'How distasteful,' another added, as a third branded it 'gross'. 'Tacky, insensitive and unimaginative not to mention unethical,' a comment read. 'Why a brand (or anyone) would want to associate themselves with allegations of serious sexual misconduct and assault is beyond me. Bizarre and peculiar.' The Daily Mail has reached out to Ginger Wings and Wingfest UK for comment. The company's 'award winning' selection of flavours features a number of innuendos, with the likes of dishes like 'Keep Your Cloves On' being some of the tamest While any trace of the branding looks to have been deleted from Ginger Wings' site and menu, social media comments suggest they were selling food named after the horrific trial 'for three days and no one else said anything' It comes as prosecutors have said they now expect disgraced star Combs to face a prison sentence 'substantially higher' than the four to five years they once thought he was likely to face after his conviction on two prostitution-related charges. In a Manhattan federal court written submission, they also opposed Combs' request to be released on $50 million bail while he awaits an October 3 sentencing. In early July, Combs, 55, was acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges carrying potential life prison terms but was convicted of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution for arranging for girlfriends and male sex workers to travel to engage in sexual encounters that he filmed. Each prostitution-related charge carries a potential maximum 10 years in prison. Prosecutors said after the verdict that they thought federal sentencing guidelines meant to prevent wide disparities in sentencings for the same crimes would likely call for a prison term of four to five years. But they said they believe the guidelines range 'will be substantially higher,' raising the risk Combs will flee. Judge Arun Subramanian will have wide latitude in determining a sentence and can choose to ignore the guidelines, which are not mandatory. Combs' lawyers have said they believe the guidelines, if properly calculated, will call for 21 to 27 months in prison. On the day of the verdict, prosecutors won a bail fight after defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo argued Combs should be freed immediately on bail. Subramanian denied the defense request, saying Combs had not met the burden of showing by clear and convincing evidence a 'lack of danger to any person or the community.' But he said Agnifilo could renew the request. Agnifilo cited other cases he said were comparable to Combs' conviction in which defendants were granted bail. And he cited severe conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where Combs has been held since his September arrest at a New York hotel. He also said Combs was being treated unfairly for engaging in a 'swingers' lifestyle in which he and his girlfriends sometimes invited male sex workers to join them in multiday marathon sex performances. Prosecutors said in their filing on July 31 that Combs' conviction on the prostitution-related counts carried a mandatory requirement that he remain in jail prior to sentencing, unless he could prove exceptional circumstances, which they said he cannot. They said he should also remain in prison as a danger to the community, a claim that Agnifilo disputed in his papers. 'Sean Combs will not be violent to anyone. As we said in court, this jury gave him his life back, and he will not squander his second chance at life, nor would he do anything to further jeopardize his seven children not having a father, and four of his children not having a parent at all,' Agnifilo wrote earlier this week. Prosecutors also said conditions at the federal lockup had improved considerably before Combs was arrested. A federal judge in January 2024 had blasted conditions at the jail, including its extensive lockdowns and inadequate medical care. Prosecutors said cases cited by Agnifilo in which other defendants received bail were not comparable to the crimes Combs was convicted of carrying out, particularly because of his propensity for violence. 'The defendant's extensive history of violence — and his continued attempt to minimize his recent violent conduct — demonstrates his dangerousness and that he is not amendable to supervision,' they wrote.
