NEED TO KNOW
- Prosecutors moved to drop charges of attempted kidnapping, arson, and aiding sex trafficking
- Diddy still faces charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, and prostitution-related transport
- Closing arguments in the high-profile trial are expected to begin Thursday, June 26
Prosecutors moved to drop some of the charges against Sean “Diddy” Combs a day before closing arguments are set to commence, though the mogul is still charged with sex trafficking and racketeering.
In a letter to Judge Arun Subramanian, prosecutors said that they will not instruct the jury to consider attempted kidnapping, attempted arson and aiding and abetting sex trafficking prior to deliberations.
“The Government understands the Court’s desire for streamlined instructions,” prosecutors wrote in the letter obtained by PEOPLE. “With that in mind, the Government has suggested ways to streamline those instructions … The Government is no longer planning to proceed on these theories of liability so instructions are no longer necessary.”
The letter was filed on the morning of Wednesday, June 25, after six weeks of trial testimony. Attorneys for both Combs and the government, along with the judge, are finalizing instructions to the jury on Wednesday afternoon. Closing arguments are scheduled for Thursday and Friday, with jury deliberations potentially beginning as early as Friday or Monday, June 30.
Combs is charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. Those charges were not affected by the prosecution’s letter, but the jury will now have fewer predicates to consider during deliberations.
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The Bad Boy Records founder has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Judge Asks Diddy How He Was Feeling. His Answer Made the Judge Laugh
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Ex-Federal Prosecutor Explains Why ‘It Makes Sense for Diddy Not to Testify’ (Exclusive)
Defense attorneys rested their case after 23 minutes, having called no witnesses and introduced a series of text messages into evidence. Combs did not testify.
Prosecutors called 34 witnesses over 29 days of testimony. Noteworthy witnesses included Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, whose allegations of abuse are pivotal to the government’s case, and Kid Cudi, who testified that his car was once blown up with a Molotov cocktail.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
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