Only someday into Sean “Diddy” Combs’ trial, the prosecution group is drawing the battle strains after a letter to Judge Arun Subramanian concerning the rap mogul’s defense team’s open court docket session with movie star lawyer Mark Geragos, who isn’t on the protection’s roster of legal professionals however is a member of the media who hosts a podcast the place he discusses the case.
The letter, submitted by United States Attorney Jay Clayton on Monday, reminds the choose of Local Rule 23.1. Specifically, Rule 23.1(c) after noting how Mark Geragos, the star lawyer to celebrities and father to one of many protection leads, Teny Geragos, didn’t file a discover of look in court docket and has no official position within the protection of Combs on intercourse trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to have interaction in prostitution fees; the rap mogul pleaded not responsible to all counts following his September arrest in New York.
“During the course of jury selection, despite the presence of seven defense attorneys who have filed notices of appearance in this case and a jury consultant, the defense team appeared to consult with Mark Geragos and other members of the Geragos & Geragos law firm who were present in court,” reads the letter, which has been considered by The Hollywood Reporter. “Mr. Geragos and his firm have a long-standing relationship with the defendant, but neither Mr. Geragos nor any member of his firm has filed a notice of appearance in this case.”
The federal attorneys additionally notice Gereagos’ involvement with a popular podcast — the weekly present 2 Angry Men, the place he groups up with TMZ’s chief, Harvey Levin, to debate Hollywood and its many “scandals, triumphs, and chaos.” As just lately as Sunday, the day earlier than the Combs trial started in Manhattan, an episode with Geragos talking in regards to the case, the make-up of the prosecution group, and, in keeping with a blurb on Apple Podcasts, “revealing” the possible protection and prosecutor’s technique.
The letter notes to Judge Subramanian that this form of media chatter, coming from somebody so near the protection group and the defendant, may fully botch the trial. It additionally notes that Diddy admonished the prosecution in late April after members “commented on pretrial litigation and continued to broadcast prejudicial statements.”
“During a jury trial of any criminal matter, including the period of selection of the jury, no lawyer or law firm associated with the … defense shall give or authorize any extrajudicial statement or interview relating to the trial or the parties or issues in the trial which a reasonable person would expect to be disseminated by means of public communication if there is a substantial likelihood that such dissemination will interfere with a fair trial,” the letter states.
In court docket on Monday, Combs made a shock assertion and admission to the choose, uttering simply 9 phrases as Subramanian labored his approach via questioning potential jurors.
“I’m sorry, your honor, I’m a little nervous today,” the defendant stated as he requested a fast rest room break, which the choose granted him. The rap mogul, a near-billionaire, was arrested in September and has been housed on the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn and since September has denied bail 3 times.
Potential jurors within the case, whereas ready to talk with the choose as he’s figuring out if they are often an unbiased participant within the justice course of, had been proven an inventory of over 100 folks and locations, all of which it was stated might come up at trial, NBC News reported. The names embrace Mike Myers, Michael B. Jordan, Kid Cudi, and Kanye West. It is unclear how the names is perhaps related to components of the trial — other than Kid Cudi, who might have been the sufferer of a automobile bombing allegedly ordered by Combs whereas he was courting his ex-girlfriend — however hypothesis has run wild since Combs’ arrest concerning which well-known names will come into play as he faces trial.
