By Larry Neumeister, Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) – A federal judge warned a lawyer for the Musical SEAN “Diddy” burglary to tame his public comments now that the sex trafficking trial of the music magnate is underway, saying that he was “scandalous” that he referred to prosecutors during a podcast as “six pack of white women”.
A transcription of a flight hall meeting contained on Tuesday the conversation between judge Arun Subramanian and lawyer Mark Geragos.
Meanwhile, the judge said on Wednesday that he would finish seats of a jury on Friday. Opening declarations are scheduled for Monday.
The trial before the Manhattan Federal Court comes after the 55-year-old hip-hop promoter pleaded not guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking after his arrest in September. He has been imprisoned without surety since then.
On Tuesday, prosecutors asked the judge to ask Geragos to follow the local rules limiting what lawyers say of the case while the trial takes place. They noted that Geragos had not filed an “appearance notice” to represent him before the court during the trial, but a jury consultant and the defense team seemed to consult him.
Later in the day, the judge asked at the meeting of the thieves’ room if Geragos – whose high -level customers included Michael Jackson and the Menendez brothers – advised combs “in a way or a form or a form?”
Geragos replied that he represents the artist’s mother in a case and represented combs and “I speak with him with a great frequency”. The daughter of the lawyer, Teny Geragos, is a key member of the Combs legal team.
When it seemed that Geragos was about to criticize the prosecutors on the issue of preliminary advertising, the judge interrupted him, saying: “Let’s just have a real speech.”
Then, the judge noted that Geragos had declared on a recent podcast “2 Angry Men” which he welcomes with the founder of TMZ, Mark Levin, that the prosecution team was made up of six white women and that he had described them as “six white women’s packs”.
Subramanian then asked Geragos if he knew that it was not something that someone should say “as a court of the court and member of the bar”.
Geragos replied: “I think that when you have a black man who is prosecuted and that the customer has the impression of being targeted, it is one – this is an observation.”
The judge repeated his argument saying, “I think it’s ridiculous. I think that referring to the accusation in this case as six pack of white women is scandalous. ”
Subramanian told Geragos, who had attended a large part of the jury selection process, that he would observe it and listen to it.
“You have another podcast listener,” said the judge.
“As long as you subscribe, I am absolutely for that,” said Geragos.
Over the past three days, the judge questions the potential jurors one at a time to see who can be fair and impartial. Combs looked from his seat at the defense table while the jurors were questioned.
Friday, lawyers on each side will be allowed to eliminate several individuals from the jurors’ panel – for reasons they generally do not have to explain. This procedure, which generally takes an hour or less, produces the final jury of 12 alternatives more.
Combs is responsible for operating its companies as a racketeering company, using employees and other partners to help facilitate multiple crimes, including kidnapping, criminal fire, corruption and sex traffic.
Prosecutors say that Combs used his fame and his fortune as a power broker in the world of hip-hop to force young women in sexually abusive situations, including “freaks offsses”, drugged orgies in which women were forced to have sex with male workers while Combs turned them.
Combs lawyers argue that the prosecutors are trying to police officer of consensual sexual activities.
Originally published:
California Daily Newspapers
