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Over the first two weeks of the Sean Combs trial, jurors have heard from more than a dozen witnesses. Prosecutors have called musicians, employees and investigators in an effort to support their case. NPR's Isabella Gomez Sarmiento says the picture they're painting is one of a powerful man running a criminal enterprise that enabled and concealed sex crimes for two decades. And a warning, this report contains mention of violence and sexual assault.
ISABELLA GOMEZ SARMIENTO, BYLINE: Some big names have taken the witness stand since Sean Combs' trial started. That includes musicians Kid Cudi and Dawn Richard. Jurors have also heard from hotel employees, law enforcement agents and male escorts. But for the first two weeks, the singer Cassie Ventura has been at the center of the prosecution's story. Ventura testified that throughout the decade she dated Combs, he was physically abusive and controlling. Most infamously, that allegedly meant forcing her to participate in highly orchestrated sexual encounters with male escorts. Aya Gruber is a professor of criminal law at the University of Southern California.
AYA GRUBER: They're bringing in a lot of evidence that this was a relationship that was marked with significant violence, and the defense isn't trying to dispute it.
GOMEZ SARMIENTO: Combs' defense attorneys admit their client was violent but suggest Ventura consented to, quote, "unconventional sex." During cross-examination, a defense attorney asked Ventura to read through many text messages in which she expressed love for Combs and a willingness to participate. But the prosecution has called eight witnesses who have supported Ventura's version of events. They include Ventura's mom and former best friend, plus Kid Cudi and Dawn Richard. Gruber says the aim of all this testimony is to help the prosecution say...
GRUBER: She was in a constant state of fearing him, and therefore, she did what he said.
GOMEZ SARMIENTO: The prosecution is depicting Combs as a person who was in control of almost everything. Two escorts have given extremely graphic testimony about sexual encounters they say they were paid to participate in with Ventura. Combs allegedly watched and gave instructions. Aya Gruber says that's not a strategy many prosecutors would take.
GRUBER: Typically, what you'll have in these cases is the prosecution objecting to anything that's said about sort of the sexual behavior and past sexual acts of the complaining witness, of the alleged victim.
GOMEZ SARMIENTO: But in this case, Gruber says the government may want jurors to hear those details to suggest Ventura must have been coerced. The defense has argued that these encounters happened in the privacy of Combs' bedroom, and the government has no business prosecuting his preferences. However, two more of the prosecution's witnesses were Combs' former assistants. Both testified that as part of their jobs, they prepared hotel rooms with candles, lubricant and changes of clothes, and they later cleaned the rooms up. Anthony Capozzolo is a private defense attorney and former federal prosecutor. He says this testimony is key to the government's racketeering charge.
ANTHONY CAPOZZOLO: There's not a lot of people who have a personal assistant who, a good portion of the 80 to 100 hours that they were working that week, was setting up events where women may have been abused or physically assaulted.
GOMEZ SARMIENTO: Capozzolo says, if Combs can be shown to have directed his employees to help him execute and cover up crimes, that could help the prosecutors to prove that their actions were part of an organized effort to conceal abuse or intimidate witnesses or victims into being silent. Prosecutors and Combs' defense both declined to comment. But in court, Combs' defense attorneys continue to suggest that all of these people acted willingly out of respect or love for Combs. Capozzolo says...
CAPOZZOLO: They have to show sides of him that the jurors can either respect or be impressed by.
GOMEZ SARMIENTO: That includes showing how successful Combs has been in his career. Both the prosecution and defense will dispute the ways he chose to exert his power and influence. Isabella Gomez Sarmiento, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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