Judge Quickly Rejects Mistrial Request at Sean “Diddy” Combs Trial

A federal judge immediately rejected a defense request for a mistrial on Wednesday at the sex trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, after his attorneys said prosecutors tried to imply to a jury that the music mogul interfered with the investigation into rapper Kid Cudi‘s firebombed Porsche in 2012.

via: People

Combs' team moved for the mistrial after prosecutors asked Los Angeles Fire Department arson investigator Lance Jimenez if fingerprint evidence related to the bombing of Kid Cudi's car had been destroyed; prosecutors also asked about who might have authorized the destruction.

The Bad Boy Records founder's lawyers argued that the line of questioning could potentially imply the idea that Combs could buy his way out of trouble.

“They were trying to plant this idea to the these jurors that Mr. Combs authorized this,” defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro said.

Judge Arun Subramanian denied the defense's motion, ruling that the questions were not prejudicial. Judge Subramanian then instructed the jury not to consider questions about the lost fingerprints.

Kid Cudi, whose real name is Scott Mescudi, testified last week that his car caught on fire in January 2012 after someone threw a Molotov cocktail into it.

At the time, Mescudi had been dating Casandra "Cassie" Ventura during a rough stretch in her 11-year on-and-off relationship with Combs.

Ventura previously testified that Combs had threatened to blow up Mescudi's car after finding out about the relationship.

Combs is charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. Arson was one of the crimes prosecutors claimed was part of the alleged racketeering conspiracy in the indictment against the music mogul. He has pleaded not guilty.