Wednesday (May 28) saw a fresh twist in the government's case against Sean "Diddy" Combs. His lawyers moved for a mistrial, alleging that prosecutors had elicited testimony around destroyed evidence and sounded speculative notes. The arson investigator, Lance Jimenez, described a firebombing of a Porsche that he said had been connected to the music mogul, adding suspense to the courtroom just as the testimony reached a fever pitch.
Jimenez painted a graphic image: a hole in the Porsche's roof cut to access the vehicle, an illuminated Olde English 800 malt liquor bottle wrapped in what he termed a designer scarf, and, inside the car, a lighter discovered still smoldering Old-school Molotov cocktail mechanics with a splash of Beverly Hills glam.
Fingerprints from the investigation were destroyed in 2012. Jimenez copped to the fact that it was "at the direction of someone with the LAPD," although not from his unit, and noted that he "had no specific" of who specifically called for the purge.
That detail would be the catalyst for a chain reaction. Diddy's lawyer, Alexandra Shapiro, capitalized on the moment. She claimed that the prosecution had turned onto treacherous terrain by prompting without evidence; she said suggestions that Diddy had played any role in the fingerprint records being deleted.
"This kind of speculation takes us further away from a fair trial," Shapiro said to the judge. "The only cure is a mistrial."
Prosecutors shot back, arguing that the defense had begun to open the door to that line of questioning. Because Diddy's team raised complicating factors around the initial investigation, the prosecution contended that they were entitled to respond.
The judge agreed with the prosecution for now. Though recognizing the gravity of the allegations and overruling defense objections, the judge said the jurors had already been explicitly told not to regard the prosecution's questions as fact. The motion for a mistrial was overruled.
But this was hardly the only combustible one in the last few days. And only two weeks prior, on May 14, ex-Diddy assistant Capricorn Clark shocked the court with her testimony. She accused Diddy of storming the house of Kid Cudi with a gun after Cudi's association with singer Cassie Ventura, who used to date Diddy. Diddy announced his intention to murder the rapper, Clark claimed. He also threatened her life when he learned she had worked for Suge Knight, another figure with a long and unsavory history in the hip-hop world, she said.
"Said if anything happened, got to kill me," Clark said in a steely voice.
Now 55, Diddy is charged with a raft of federal offenses, including sex trafficking, racketeering, and transporting people for prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The trial continues in New York federal court this week, and if the first few days are any indication, it is far from over. Amid destroyed evidence, threats, and firebombed sports cars, this is becoming one of the most chaotic and consequential courtroom sagas hip-hop has ever seen.
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