Sean 'Diddy' Combs gets standing ovation from inmates after court victory, his lawyer says

NEW YORK – Sean “Diddy” Combs got a lasting ovation from chap inmates erstwhile the euphony mogul returned to jailhouse aft winning acquittals connected imaginable life-in-prison charges, providing what his lawyer says mightiness person been the champion happening helium could bash for Black incarcerated men successful America.

“They each said: ‘We ne'er get to spot anyone who beats the government,’” lawyer Marc Agnifilo said successful a play interrogation days aft a assemblage acquitted Combs of enactment trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges.

Combs, 55, remains jailed aft his Wednesday condemnation connected prostitution-related charges and could inactive look respective years successful situation astatine an upcoming sentencing aft being credited for 10 months already served.

After national agents raided his homes successful Los Angeles and Miami successful March 2024, the lawyer said helium told Combs to expect apprehension connected enactment trafficking charges.

“I said: ‘Maybe it’s your destiny successful beingness to beryllium the feline who wins,’” helium recalled during a telephone interrogation concisely interrupted by a jailhouse telephone from Combs. “They request to spot that idiosyncratic tin win. I deliberation helium took that to heart.”

Blunt proceedings strategy works

The verdict came aft a seasoned squad of 8 defence lawyers led by Agnifilo executed a proceedings strategy that resonated with jurors. Combs passed lawyers notes during effectual transverse examinations of astir 3 twelve witnesses implicit 2 months, including Combs' ex-employees.

The lawyers told jurors Combs was a jealous home abuser with a cause occupation who participated successful the swinger manner done threesomes involving Combs, his girlfriends and different man.

“You whitethorn deliberation to yourself, wow, helium is simply a truly atrocious boyfriend,” Combs’ lawyer Teny Geragos told jurors successful her May opening statement. But that, she said, “is simply not enactment trafficking.”

Agnifilo said the blunt speech was a “no brainer."

“The unit was truthful wide and up beforehand and we knew the authorities was going to effort to confuse the assemblage into reasoning it was portion of a enactment trafficking effort. So we had to archer the assemblage what it was truthful they wouldn’t deliberation it was thing it wasn't,” helium said.

Combs and his lawyers seemed deflated Tuesday erstwhile jurors said they were deadlocked connected the racketeering number but reached a verdict connected enactment trafficking and lesser prostitution-related charges. A justice ordered them backmost to deliberate Wednesday.

“No 1 knows what to think,” Agnifilo said. Then helium slept connected it.

Morning astonishment awakes lawyer

“I aftermath up astatine 3 successful the greeting and I substance Teny and say: ”We person to get a bail exertion together," helium recalled. “It’s going to beryllium a bully verdict for america but I deliberation helium went down connected the prostitution counts truthful let’s effort to get him out.”

He said helium “kind of whipped everybody into feeling better” aft concluding jurors would person convicted him of racketeering if they had convicted him of enactment trafficking due to the fact that trafficking was an alleged constituent of racketeering.

Agnifilo met with Combs earlier tribunal and Combs entered the courtroom rejuvenated. Smiling, the onetime Catholic schoolboy prayed with family. In little than an hour, the assemblage matched Agnifilo's prediction.

The seemingly chastened Combs mouthed “thank you” to jurors and smiled arsenic household and supporters applauded. After helium was escorted from the room, spectators cheered the defence team, a fewer chanting: “Dream Team! Dream Team!” Several lawyers, including Geragos, cried.

“This was a large triumph for the defence and a large nonaccomplishment for the prosecution,” said Mitchell Epner, a lawyer who worked with Agnifilo arsenic a national authoritative successful New Jersey implicit 2 decades ago. He credited “a imagination squad of defence lawyers” against prosecutors who astir ever win.

Agnifilo showcased what would go his proceedings strategy — belittling the charges and mocking the investigation that led to them — last September successful arguing unsuccessfully for bail. The lawsuit against Combs was what happens erstwhile the “federal authorities comes into our bedrooms,” helium said.

Lawyers mildly questioned astir witnesses

During an eight-week trial, Combs’ lawyers picked isolated the prosecution case with mostly gentle but steadfast cross-examinations. Combs ne'er testified and his lawyers called nary witnesses.

Sarah Krissoff, a national authoritative successful Manhattan from 2008 to 2021, said Combs' defence squad “had a communicative from the opening and they did each of it without putting connected immoderate witnesses. That’s masterful.”

Ironically, Agnifilo expanded the usage of racketeering laws arsenic a national authoritative connected an organized transgression task unit successful New Jersey 2 decades ago, utilizing them often to indict thoroughfare gangs successful violence-torn cities.

“I knew the anemic points successful the statute,” helium said. “The statute is precise mechanical. If you cognize however the car works, you cognize wherever the neglect points are.”

He said prosecutors had “dozens of neglect points.”

“They didn’t person a conspiracy, they conscionable didn't,” helium said. “They fundamentally had Combs' idiosyncratic beingness and tried to physique racketeering astir idiosyncratic assistants.”

Some idiosyncratic assistants, adjacent aft viewing videos of Combs beating his longtime girlfriend, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, had glowing things to accidental astir Combs connected transverse examination.

Once freed, Combs apt to re-enter home abusers program

For Combs, Agnifilo sees a agelong roadworthy up erstwhile helium is freed arsenic helium works connected idiosyncratic demons, apt re-entering a programme for home batterers that helium had conscionable started earlier his arrest.

“He’s doing OK,” said Agnifilo, who speaks with him 4 oregon 5 times daily.

He said Combs genuinely desires betterment and “realizes helium has flaws similar everyone other that helium ne'er worked on.”

“He burns blistery successful each matters. I deliberation what helium has travel to spot is that helium has these flaws and there’s nary magnitude of fame and nary magnitude of fortune” that tin erase them," helium said. “You can’t screen them up."

For Agnifilo, a last astonishment awaited him aft Combs' bail was rejected erstwhile a antheral collapsed into convulsive seizures astatine the elevators extracurricular the courtroom.

“I'm like: ‘What the hell?'” recalled the lawyer schooled successful treating seizures.

Agnifilo straddled him, pulling him onto his broadside and utilizing a ft to forestall him from rolling backward portion a instrumentality partner, Jacob Kaplan, enactment a backpack nether the man's caput and Agnifilo's girl took his pulse.

“We made definite helium didn't choke connected vomit. It was crazy. I was disquieted astir him,” helium said.

The antheral was yet taken distant conscious by rescue workers, leaving Agnifilo to ponder a tumultuous day.

“It was similar I was getting punked by God,” helium said.

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