Diddy’s Defense: Sex Trafficking Trial & High-Profile Legal Team

The New york city jurors being picked on Monday to hear the sex trafficking and racketeering test of Sean “Diddy” Combs are mosting likely to need to select one crucial question on which the prosecutor’s instance appears to pivot: Did the rap magnate utilize his sizable team over a number of years to run a criminal enterprise, or is he a well-off man with a dedicated group and some unique predispositions?

The Key Question in Diddy’s Trial

The former staff for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Shapiro has an associate for handling situations that court conflict. Her recent infamous client, that occurs to be spending time with Combs at the Brooklyn jail where he is being housed, is FTX creator Sam Bankman-Fried, whom she defeated on allure of his fraudulence sentence.

One noteworthy success in Agnifilo’s career was the dismissal of the rape situation against former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn after a claimed sex-related assault on a New York resort house maid in 2011. He’s gained a credibility over his profession for challenging district attorneys head-on and making the instance that his customers are being targeted unjustly, as was the protection technique he provided for Turkish business owner Reza Zarrab, that was charged of averting U.S. sanctions on Iran through intricate monetary purchases. The celeb defense attorney is busy with one more headline-grabbing case with customers Erik and Lyle Menendez, however it’s rumored that he is going to play a major function in Coombs’ protection. Offered this propensity for difficult instances, his refusal to function on the Combs’ situation has actually fueled a great deal of conjecture and secret as to what made him give up the top-level case that lots of anticipate will certainly reveal a lot more about Combs’ luxe and libidinous lifestyle.

Agnifilo’s Role and Notable Cases

All 4 witnesses are prepared to outline their experiences with Combs as the prosecution tries to show how he apparently persuaded females right into sex by controling and controlling them, and how his personnel played presumably crucial roles in tidying up after his messes and assuring declared victims stayed in line and kept quiet. All 4 witnesses will after that deal with interrogation from a customized team of attorneys who are a few of the very best defense lawyers that money can buy. Below’s a take a look at who’s who in Combs’ defense team.

Witnesses and Defense Strategy

Throughout the Young Punk YSL RICO test, the presiding judge especially held Steel in contempt of court after a disagreement appeared over a meeting the court took with an essential state witness and prosecutors. The court was recused from the test after the case.

There is one notable, enduring mystery bordering the Combs trial. In February, lawyer Anthony Ricco all of a sudden filed an activity to take out from the instance. No one has had the ability to say specifically why Ricco decided to tip away from his customer, and while making his departure, he contacted the court, “Under no conditions can I remain to successfully function as advice.”

Ricco’s Mysterious Withdrawal

The young blood on the defense team, Jason Driscoll, joined Shapiro Arato Bach in 2023 after working with specific and company clients at a different company, with time spent on both civil and criminal proceedings. Prior to this private sector work, he clerked for a government district judge in the Southern District of New York City, the place for Combs’ trial, and as a federal appellate judge in the Secondly Circuit.

Teny likewise took Diddy’s instance to TikTok, where she took on the style of closing down a complaint in a civil instance submitted versus Combs by speaking with the cam with various heading screengrabs, lawful data and pictures on screen in the backdrop.

The Legal Team’s Expertise

With a focus on allures, federal government examinations and white collar crime, Anna Estevano feels like an all-natural fit for Combs’ defense team, offered the fees the mogul encounters from federal district attorneys. According to her LinkedIn profile, she made partner in January at New York firm Sher Tremonte LLP after spending seven years there as advise. Estavao has actually belonged to Combs’ group given that the fall of last year, joining shortly after his September apprehension in Manhattan.

Defense’s Social Media Strategy

Steel participated in the University of Michigan for his undergraduate degree and after that Fordham Legislation, where he finished with a Juris Physician in 1990. After Youthful Hooligan pleaded out and managed to stroll complimentary after the 22-month test, he had a Drake tune named for him.

The lead defense attorney for Combs’ test is an expert criminal defense attorney known for representing high-profile customers throughout his 30-year occupation. The founding companion of Agnifilo Intrater LLP worked as Assistant united state Lawyer in New Jersey from 1998 to 2006 as the lead of its Violent Crimes Device. He has actually suggested over 200 cases and safeguarded acquittals in many complicated trials involving complaints of assault, worldwide tax obligation fraud, political corruption and various other crimes.

The Lead Defense Attorney

One significant success in Agnifilo’s job was the termination of the rape situation versus former International Monetary Fund principal Dominique Strauss-Kahn after a supposed sexual offense on a New York resort housemaid in 2011. He’s gotten an online reputation over his occupation for difficult district attorneys head-on and making the situation that his customers are being targeted unfairly, as was the defense strategy he provided for Turkish business owner Reza Zarrab, that was implicated of escaping united state permissions on Iran through complex financial deals. He’s currently made a similar statement concerning the charges against Combs, calling it an “unjustified prosecution.”

Combs has actually begged not guilty to the fees against him and maintains that he is innocent of any type of criminal activities. He was used a plea take care of a decreased sentence, which he rejected, the rap mogul exposed in court late recently.

Shapiro’s job successes include tightening the scope of government fraud laws before the High court, where she additionally suggested the first-ever expert trading instance. She’s recognized for appeals, white collar protection and civil lawsuits. Prior to starting her firm, she functioned as an Aide U.S. Lawyer in the Southern District of New York and an attorney-adviser in the Workplace of Legal Advice of the Department of Justice.

According to district attorneys with the Southern District of New York, the incarcerated rap and fashion globe pillar “utilized the business empire he managed to sexually abuse and exploit females, in addition to devote various other acts of violence and blockage of justice.”

On Might 1, Combs’ protection group showed up at a Manhattan federal court hearing where an unrevealed lawful addition was noted amongst the prestigious team. Since then, court filings have shown that Xavier Donaldson, a former Bronx district attorney that has run his practice given that 2023, has actually been included in the high-powered team. Donaldson is a graduate of Howard College, the exact same college Combs participated in before entrusting to seek his songs sector dreams.

His high-profile instances have not all been success tales for his customers. Agnifilo safeguarded NXIVM founder Keith Raniere, who was founded guilty on numerous charges, consisting of sex trafficking and racketeering. Raniere was punished to 120 years in prison after he was founded guilty of 7 felonies related to what prosecutors called a sex cult the company he co-founded.

The celeb defense lawyer is hectic with an additional headline-grabbing instance with clients Erik and Lyle Menendez, but it’s rumored that he is mosting likely to play a significant function in Coombs’ defense. The giant lawyer has actually seen his share of big-with-a-capital-B tests, having actually protected Scott Peterson, Chris Brown, Jussie Smollett, and much more notable names facing some major fees. Exactly what sort of role he will certainly play in Combs’ defense continues to be to be seen; as supposition has boosted over the previous three weeks because he appeared in court with Team Diddy, Gereagos has dispersed concerns concerning his involvement completely.

Teny’s experience with sex-related transgression defense technique has gotten on display in social media sites videos and on News Nation’s Cuomo, where she made a look to discuss her customer’s innocence. Speaking with host Chris Cuomo following one of three bail denials for the rap mogul, Teny stated that Diddy’s” lifestyle is not criminal” and noted that when reviewing his alleged criminal activities, the notion of consent was never brought up by district attorneys; the defense’s technique, in terms of the sex trafficking costs and lurid “freak off” sex celebrations Combs threw, rests on the assertion that all parties were consenting adults. “What was notable today … is they never as soon as stated that these ladies really did not grant what happened, not as soon as,” she informed Cuomo in September.

A current enhancement to the protection team, Brian Steel is famous not only for a recentNew Yorker profile, but for protecting a well-known rap artist against a RICO cost, as holds true with Combs. Steel formerly represented rap artist Young Hooligan in Georgia’s longest-running criminal trial.

The Trial’s Timeline

The trial is anticipated to last 8 weeks, beginning with the May 12 opening declarations, Judge Arun Subramanian informed potential jurors as Monday’s session opened up for jury selection. The 12 women and men selected, who will certainly be vetted thoroughly, will learn through four witnesses, just one of whom is currently known: Cassie Ventura, the defendant’s former enchanting partner, who worked out a civil case out of court last year, will certainly be the initial to take the stand; the three victims that will follow her are, now, unrevealed openly.

Ricco, who famously safeguarded Osama bin Laden and Omar Rahman after the World Trade Facility bombing in 1993, specializes in state and federal court hearings and has actually saved the lives of numerous death row prisoners. Furthermore, he famously defended Gescard Isnora, a covert cop that eliminated and shot Sean Bell, an unarmed Black male, in 2006. Given this fondness for difficult instances, his refusal to service the Combs’ case has actually sustained a good deal of supposition and secret regarding what made him stop the high-profile situation that lots of prepare for will disclose a lot more concerning Combs’ luxe and libidinous lifestyle.

He has suggested over 200 situations and safeguarded acquittals in numerous intricate trials including accusations of attack, international tax fraudulence, political corruption and other crimes.