The stars of the courtroom hit courtroom of hip-hop mogul Diddy’s federal racketeering and sex trafficking trial are heading ever closer to what promises to be an explosive climax as Judge Arun Subramanian lays down the law on how the jury will approach their critical deliberations.
Now, Judge Subramanian has handed down detailed orders for the prosecution and defense teams to ensure everything is buttoned up before the jury is excused to deliberate on its verdict. This is not just a formality: It’s a carefully choreographed move that guarantees jurors have organized, fair access to the mountain of evidence already presented in the trial.
One of the judge’s most important orders mandates that the government ready a laptop that includes only digital evidence that has been introduced into evidence officially. This laptop was to be handed by Monday, June 23, 2025, to the defense, and we could each, right there on the record, validate that nothing is on that laptop except that evidence which the court has accepted.” Though digital evidence is getting this high-tech treatment, physical artifacts will not be neglected. The prosecution must also maintain and label every physical exhibit in the case and provide the list to the defense team.
For jurors, that means trying them and having access to noncontraband physical items in the jury room, should they want to review them. But any illegal drugs or weapons treats and props considered contraband will remain locked in the trunk of the courtroom and will only be seen under supervision. This delicate compromise allows the jurors to weigh all the evidence while maintaining courtroom security.
Judge Subramanian also stressed the need to work together. Prosecutors and defense attorneys are expected to develop a master exhibit list, a guide with explanations for the jury, who would otherwise have to navigate what, at times, seems like a baffling ocean of documents, videos, CDs, and other items.
The judge also gave one other significant instruction regarding the transcripts of witness testimony. With the jurors expected to want to review some parts of the testimony, the two legal teams now have to begin reviewing and redacting those transcripts, focusing on the witnesses who will most likely be referenced during deliberations. Suppose the jury inquires about passages of the transcript that have not been read. In that case, both sides should respond promptly by working out the necessary redactions, ensuring an efficient and respectable process.
The trial began in late May and was in its 26th day of trial on Wednesday, June 18. Diddy has been charged with five federal counts: one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and two counts of transporting women across state lines for prostitution. The rapper and entrepreneur has denied all allegations.
As the trial shifts from Week 2 into Week 3, prosecutors are expected to wrap up their case by Monday, June 23, and then the defense will have five days before closing arguments begin. With the court just days away from its plan to have a verdict sometime before the Independence Day holiday on Thursday, July 4, it could be the tale of two cities for Diddy but, more importantly, two versions of justice too. With the trial being in the home stretch, all eyes are trained on the courtroom as this high-profile legal drama inches closer to the final act.
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