Latest news with #AgnifiloIntrater
Fox News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Diddy's defense attorney challenges government's narrative in high-stakes federal trial
Sean "Diddy" Combs retained criminal defense attorney Teny Geragos as part of his legal team after his arrest in September. The criminal defense attorney, known just as much for her last name as she is for her work in the courtroom, first earned fans last year with social media clips about her rapper client. Teny also gained recognition for her opening remarks during Diddy's federal trial, where she argued that the case was about "voluntary adult choices," which the government was attempting to skew into a narrative to fit a sex trafficking charge. Teny, the daughter of criminal defense lawyer Mark Geragos, graduated from Loyola Law School Los Angeles in 2016. Her father is known for representing several high-profile clients, including Michael Jackson, Scott Peterson, Jussie Smollett, Colin Kaepernick and, most recently, the Menendez brothers in their pursuit of resentencing. She then worked with Brafman & Associates for eight years before becoming a founding partner of Agnifilo Intrater. She serves on the board of directors of the New York Criminal Bar Association and is certified to practice law in New York and California. Shortly after Diddy was arrested in New York after a human trafficking investigation, Teny claimed the media was pushing the wrong narrative about the "Last Night" rapper. "There's no minors, there's no celebrity sex tapes. The civil lawsuits here are not driving the allegations that we're defending against, but it is driving the vitriol against him in the media," Teny said on an episode of "2 Angry Men." "It's incredible here what I'm witnessing," she said of the public narrative about Diddy. "A lot of allegations that have no basis in reality whatsoever." During opening statements of Diddy's trial, which began on May 5, Teny asked the jury to consider the federal charges, not the choices of an at-times violent man. "Sean Combs is a complicated man, but this is not a complicated case," Teny told the court. "This case is about love, jealousy, infidelity and money. This case is about voluntary adult choices made by capable adults and consensual relationships. This case is about those real-life relationships, and the government is trying to turn those relationships into a racketeering case, a prostitution case and a sex trafficking case. It will not work." Teny told the jury that they would hear the "basics" through the lens of various witnesses and evidence. Most importantly, though, jurors would get the opportunity to "finally" hear the facts about the case. "Sean Combs is a complicated man, but this is not a complicated case. This case is about love, jealousy, infidelity and money. This case is about voluntary adult choices made by capable adults and consensual relationships." "I say that because this case is not about what you've heard on the news, read in the news or have seen on social media for the past year and a half," Teny said. "This case is not about what civil attorneys looking for a payday are trying to make my client out to be. There has been a tremendous amount of noise around this case for the past year, and it is time to cancel that noise and hear and see the evidence that will be presented in this courtroom." She noted that Diddy "has a bad temper" and at times gets "so angry or so jealous that he is out of control," but she emphasized that the "Victory" rapper was not charged with "being mean." "He is not charged with being a jerk. He's charged with running a racketeering enterprise," Teny said. "And though there was violence that you are going to hear about, you already have, that violence is not part of any RICO. That violence is not connected to sex trafficking and that violence is not prostitution." During a recent episode of "2 Angry Men," Harvey Levin and Mark Geragos sat down with fellow high-profile lawyer Joe Tacopina to talk about the case. Tacopina has served as a personal attorney for President Donald Trump and most recently won a big court victory while representing rapper A$AP Rocky, who was found not guilty of criminal assault charges. "He is not charged with being a jerk. He's charged with running a racketeering enterprise." "Your daughter, by the way, your daughter is a terrific lawyer – Teny – I'm very impressed," Tacopina told the men. "There's people who are or children of great lawyers who become lawyers, and you know it's not the same." "I'm sure we're reading each other's minds right now," Mark said. "That's why I take that as high praise for her, so I appreciate that." "She is, she's something else. I'm very impressed with her," Tacopina continued. "That opening was phenomenal. Opening summations and cross is my daily bread, it's what I love, it's what I studied, and what I really perfected it, and that was as good as I've seen." To wrap the episode, Mark revealed that his all-star daughter was pregnant with his second grandchild. "Four months yesterday, I think," Mark said. Levin joked, "The New York jury is like, 'Is everybody pregnant in this case?" Levin was likely referring to the prosecution's "star witness," Diddy's ex, Cassie Ventura, who recently gave birth to her child with husband Alex Fine. Ventura testified against the rapper last month. In a federal indictment unsealed on Sept. 17, Combs was charged with racketeering conspiracy (RICO); sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution. If found guilty, he faces a minimum of 15 years behind bars or a maximum sentence of life in prison. He has maintained his innocence throughout the trial, in which witnesses have testified to alleged rape, sexual assault, severe physical abuse, forced labor and drug trafficking. The trial is expected to wrap by July 4.
New York Times
15-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Live Updates: At Sean Combs's Trial, His Lawyers Press Cassie About Desire for Freak-Offs
At trial, Sean Combs will be represented by a large and varied defense team — one that has grown even larger and more varied in recent days. Since early in the government's investigation, Mr. Combs has retained Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos of the firm Agnifilo Intrater. Mr. Agnifilo is a longtime criminal defense attorney who has represented high-profile figures like the former pharma executive Martin Shkreli; Keith Raniere, the leader of the Nxivm sex cult; and Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former managing director of the International Monetary Fund, who in 2011 was accused of sexually assaulting a hotel maid in New York. (The case against Mr. Strauss-Kahn was dismissed before a trial.) Along with Karen Friedman Agnifilo, his wife, Mr. Agnifilo is also part of the defense team for Luigi Mangione, who has been charged with murder in the killing of a health care executive. In and out of the courtroom, Mr. Agnifilo has been perhaps the strongest voice in Mr. Combs's defense. At a hearing last month, he reiterated the defense's argument that Mr. Combs's 'freak-offs' — sexual encounters that the government contends were coerced — were consensual, with Mr. Combs's ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura a willing participant. 'Call it 'swingers,' call it whatever you will,' Mr. Agnifilo said. In media interviews, he has called the case an 'unjust prosecution' and said that Mr. Combs is 'an imperfect person but is not a criminal.' Mr. Agnifilo was a longtime lawyer at the firm Brafman & Associates but left last year to help start Agnifilo Intrater. With him, he brought Ms. Geragos, whose father is Mark Geragos, the celebrity lawyer who has represented Mr. Combs in the past. Ms. Geragos has also spoken publicly about the case, including in a series of TikTok videos that she posted before Mr. Combs was arrested in September. The team also includes Alexandra Shapiro, a prominent appellate court lawyer at the firm Shapiro Arato Bach who was once a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, which is prosecuting the Combs case. She graduated from Columbia Law School and was one of the first clerks for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the Supreme Court. She also wrote a novel, 'Presumed Guilty.' Ms. Shapiro is widely recognized for her success rate at trial and on appeals. 'If you want to maximize your chances of either prevailing at trial or on appeal against the S.D.N.Y., then you should call Alexandra Shapiro (if you can afford her),' the legal newsletter Original Jurisdiction wrote last year. Given her specialty, Ms. Shapiro may be keeping a close eye during the trial on any issues that might be useful if the defense appeals a verdict. Mr. Combs's defense also includes Jason Driscoll of Shapiro Arato Bach and Anna Estevao of Harris Trzaskoma. In the last few weeks, Mr. Combs has added several other lawyers. Most prominent is Brian Steel, who defended the rapper Young Thug in a long-running racketeering trial in Georgia. Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, pleaded guilty to participating in criminal street gang activity, and was released with time served. But Mr. Steel — who was recently profiled in The New Yorker — drew wide notice, in legal circles and beyond, for a courtroom showdown where he accused a judge of improperly meeting with a witness. He was held in contempt but later vindicated when the judge was ordered to recuse himself from the case. Mr. Combs's team has also recently added Xavier Donaldson, a New York lawyer whose LinkedIn profile describes him as 'litigator, professor, speaker, crisis manager,' and Nicole Westmoreland, who represented one of Young Thug's co-defendants in his trial. In April, Mr. Combs's legal team asked for a two-month delay of the trial to consider what it said was newly produced evidence by the government. The judge denied the request, noting that Mr. Combs had four law firms working for him, giving him ample resources to prepare. Since then, Mr. Combs has added two more.
New York Times
14-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Live Updates: Cassie to Testify About Hotel Clash With Sean Combs During Sex-Trafficking Trial
At trial, Sean Combs will be represented by a large and varied defense team — one that has grown even larger and more varied in recent days. Since early in the government's investigation, Mr. Combs has retained Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos of the firm Agnifilo Intrater. Mr. Agnifilo is a longtime criminal defense attorney who has represented high-profile figures like the former pharma executive Martin Shkreli; Keith Raniere, the leader of the Nxivm sex cult; and Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former managing director of the International Monetary Fund, who in 2011 was accused of sexually assaulting a hotel maid in New York. (The case against Mr. Strauss-Kahn was dismissed before a trial.) Along with Karen Friedman Agnifilo, his wife, Mr. Agnifilo is also part of the defense team for Luigi Mangione, who has been charged with murder in the killing of a health care executive. In and out of the courtroom, Mr. Agnifilo has been perhaps the strongest voice in Mr. Combs's defense. At a hearing last month, he reiterated the defense's argument that Mr. Combs's 'freak-offs' — sexual encounters that the government contends were coerced — were consensual, with Mr. Combs's ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura a willing participant. 'Call it 'swingers,' call it whatever you will,' Mr. Agnifilo said. In media interviews, he has called the case an 'unjust prosecution' and said that Mr. Combs is 'an imperfect person but is not a criminal.' Mr. Agnifilo was a longtime lawyer at the firm Brafman & Associates but left last year to help start Agnifilo Intrater. With him, he brought Ms. Geragos, whose father is Mark Geragos, the celebrity lawyer who has represented Mr. Combs in the past. Ms. Geragos has also spoken publicly about the case, including in a series of TikTok videos that she posted before Mr. Combs was arrested in September. The team also includes Alexandra Shapiro, a prominent appellate court lawyer at the firm Shapiro Arato Bach who was once a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, which is prosecuting the Combs case. She graduated from Columbia Law School and was one of the first clerks for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the Supreme Court. She also wrote a novel, 'Presumed Guilty.' Ms. Shapiro is widely recognized for her success rate at trial and on appeals. 'If you want to maximize your chances of either prevailing at trial or on appeal against the S.D.N.Y., then you should call Alexandra Shapiro (if you can afford her),' the legal newsletter Original Jurisdiction wrote last year. Given her specialty, Ms. Shapiro may be keeping a close eye during the trial on any issues that might be useful if the defense appeals a verdict. Mr. Combs's defense also includes Jason Driscoll of Shapiro Arato Bach and Anna Estevao of Harris Trzaskoma. In the last few weeks, Mr. Combs has added several other lawyers. Most prominent is Brian Steel, who defended the rapper Young Thug in a long-running racketeering trial in Georgia. Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, pleaded guilty to participating in criminal street gang activity, and was released with time served. But Mr. Steel — who was recently profiled in The New Yorker — drew wide notice, in legal circles and beyond, for a courtroom showdown where he accused a judge of improperly meeting with a witness. He was held in contempt but later vindicated when the judge was ordered to recuse himself from the case. Mr. Combs's team has also recently added Xavier Donaldson, a New York lawyer whose LinkedIn profile describes him as 'litigator, professor, speaker, crisis manager,' and Nicole Westmoreland, who represented one of Young Thug's co-defendants in his trial. In April, Mr. Combs's legal team asked for a two-month delay of the trial to consider what it said was newly produced evidence by the government. The judge denied the request, noting that Mr. Combs had four law firms working for him, giving him ample resources to prepare. Since then, Mr. Combs has added two more.
New York Times
14-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Cassie to Testify About Hotel Clash With Sean Combs During Sex-Trafficking Trial
At trial, Sean Combs will be represented by a large and varied defense team — one that has grown even larger and more varied in recent days. Since early in the government's investigation, Mr. Combs has retained Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos of the firm Agnifilo Intrater. Mr. Agnifilo is a longtime criminal defense attorney who has represented high-profile figures like the former pharma executive Martin Shkreli; Keith Raniere, the leader of the Nxivm sex cult; and Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former managing director of the International Monetary Fund, who in 2011 was accused of sexually assaulting a hotel maid in New York. (The case against Mr. Strauss-Kahn was dismissed before a trial.) Along with Karen Friedman Agnifilo, his wife, Mr. Agnifilo is also part of the defense team for Luigi Mangione, who has been charged with murder in the killing of a health care executive. In and out of the courtroom, Mr. Agnifilo has been perhaps the strongest voice in Mr. Combs's defense. At a hearing last month, he reiterated the defense's argument that Mr. Combs's 'freak-offs' — sexual encounters that the government contends were coerced — were consensual, with Mr. Combs's ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura a willing participant. 'Call it 'swingers,' call it whatever you will,' Mr. Agnifilo said. In media interviews, he has called the case an 'unjust prosecution' and said that Mr. Combs is 'an imperfect person but is not a criminal.' Mr. Agnifilo was a longtime lawyer at the firm Brafman & Associates but left last year to help start Agnifilo Intrater. With him, he brought Ms. Geragos, whose father is Mark Geragos, the celebrity lawyer who has represented Mr. Combs in the past. Ms. Geragos has also spoken publicly about the case, including in a series of TikTok videos that she posted before Mr. Combs was arrested in September. The team also includes Alexandra Shapiro, a prominent appellate court lawyer at the firm Shapiro Arato Bach who was once a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, which is prosecuting the Combs case. She graduated from Columbia Law School and was one of the first clerks for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the Supreme Court. She also wrote a novel, 'Presumed Guilty.' Ms. Shapiro is widely recognized for her success rate at trial and on appeals. 'If you want to maximize your chances of either prevailing at trial or on appeal against the S.D.N.Y., then you should call Alexandra Shapiro (if you can afford her),' the legal newsletter Original Jurisdiction wrote last year. Given her specialty, Ms. Shapiro may be keeping a close eye during the trial on any issues that might be useful if the defense appeals a verdict. Mr. Combs's defense also includes Jason Driscoll of Shapiro Arato Bach and Anna Estevao of Harris Trzaskoma. In the last few weeks, Mr. Combs has added several other lawyers. Most prominent is Brian Steel, who defended the rapper Young Thug in a long-running racketeering trial in Georgia. Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, pleaded guilty to participating in criminal street gang activity, and was released with time served. But Mr. Steel — who was recently profiled in The New Yorker — drew wide notice, in legal circles and beyond, for a courtroom showdown where he accused a judge of improperly meeting with a witness. He was held in contempt but later vindicated when the judge was ordered to recuse himself from the case. Mr. Combs's team has also recently added Xavier Donaldson, a New York lawyer whose LinkedIn profile describes him as 'litigator, professor, speaker, crisis manager,' and Nicole Westmoreland, who represented one of Young Thug's co-defendants in his trial. In April, Mr. Combs's legal team asked for a two-month delay of the trial to consider what it said was newly produced evidence by the government. The judge denied the request, noting that Mr. Combs had four law firms working for him, giving him ample resources to prepare. Since then, Mr. Combs has added two more.
New York Times
12-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Live Updates: Opening Statements Underway in Sean Combs Sex-Trafficking Trial
At trial, Sean Combs will be represented by a large and varied defense team — one that has grown even larger and more varied in recent days. Since early in the government's investigation, Mr. Combs has retained Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos of the firm Agnifilo Intrater. Mr. Agnifilo is a longtime criminal defense attorney who has represented high-profile figures like the former pharma executive Martin Shkreli; Keith Raniere, the leader of the Nxivm sex cult; and Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former managing director of the International Monetary Fund, who in 2011 was accused of sexually assaulting a hotel maid in New York. (The case against Mr. Strauss-Kahn was dismissed before a trial.) Along with Karen Friedman Agnifilo, his wife, Mr. Agnifilo is also part of the defense team for Luigi Mangione, who has been charged with murder in the killing of a health care executive. In and out of the courtroom, Mr. Agnifilo has been perhaps the strongest voice in Mr. Combs's defense. At a hearing last month, he reiterated the defense's argument that Mr. Combs's 'freak-offs' — sexual encounters that the government contends were coerced — were consensual, with Mr. Combs's ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura a willing participant. 'Call it 'swingers,' call it whatever you will,' Mr. Agnifilo said. In media interviews, he has called the case an 'unjust prosecution' and said that Mr. Combs is 'an imperfect person but is not a criminal.' Mr. Agnifilo was a longtime lawyer at the firm Brafman & Associates but left last year to help start Agnifilo Intrater. With him, he brought Ms. Geragos, whose father is Mark Geragos, the celebrity lawyer who has represented Mr. Combs in the past. Ms. Geragos has also spoken publicly about the case, including in a series of TikTok videos that she posted before Mr. Combs was arrested in September. The team also includes Alexandra Shapiro, a prominent appellate court lawyer at the firm Shapiro Arato Bach who was once a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, which is prosecuting the Combs case. She graduated from Columbia Law School and was one of the first clerks for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the Supreme Court. She also wrote a novel, 'Presumed Guilty.' Ms. Shapiro is widely recognized for her success rate at trial and on appeals. 'If you want to maximize your chances of either prevailing at trial or on appeal against the S.D.N.Y., then you should call Alexandra Shapiro (if you can afford her),' the legal newsletter Original Jurisdiction wrote last year. Given her specialty, Ms. Shapiro may be keeping a close eye during the trial on any issues that might be useful if the defense appeals a verdict. Mr. Combs's defense also includes Jason Driscoll of Shapiro Arato Bach and Anna Estevao of Harris Trzaskoma. In the last few weeks, Mr. Combs has added several other lawyers. Most prominent is Brian Steel, who defended the rapper Young Thug in a long-running racketeering trial in Georgia. Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, pleaded guilty to participating in criminal street gang activity, and was released with time served. But Mr. Steel — who was recently profiled in The New Yorker — drew wide notice, in legal circles and beyond, for a courtroom showdown where he accused a judge of improperly meeting with a witness. He was held in contempt but later vindicated when the judge was ordered to recuse himself from the case. Mr. Combs's team has also recently added Xavier Donaldson, a New York lawyer whose LinkedIn profile describes him as 'litigator, professor, speaker, crisis manager,' and Nicole Westmoreland, who represented one of Young Thug's co-defendants in his trial. In April, Mr. Combs's legal team asked for a two-month delay of the trial to consider what it said was newly produced evidence by the government. The judge denied the request, noting that Mr. Combs had four law firms working for him, giving him ample resources to prepare. Since then, Mr. Combs has added two more.
