西恩“吹牛老爹”库姆斯可能靠歌词发了财，但他周二告诉法官，他保留不分享他的话的权利，不在他的性交易审判中出庭作证，预计将于本周结束。
库姆斯的决定是在检察官停止对库姆斯的漫长起诉后约一小时做出的，此前检察官在28天内传唤了34名证人。他们花了七周时间试图说服联邦陪审团，这位说唱大亨利用他的商业帝国强迫女性发生性关系。
如果所有罪名成立，库姆斯面临终身监禁的可能性，自上月审判开始以来，他基本上保持沉默，但自信地告诉负责此案的法官，他不会作证。
“这是我和我的律师的决定，”库姆斯说，他的声音在寂静的法庭中回荡。
“你今天感觉怎么样?”美国地方法官Arun Subramian问Combs，站起来回答。
“我很好，你好吗，大人?我想对你说谢谢。库姆斯说:“你做得非常出色。
这一时刻标志着罕见地偏离了审判和证词的形式，而这种形式的特点是充满感情，有时令人不安的证词。
在库姆斯的声明之后，他的律师提交了一个简短的案件，只向陪审团展示了证据，他们说，这些证据对一些证人的证词产生了怀疑。库姆斯的律师表示，证据表明，该案件中的所谓受害者实际上同意了有时长达数天的性派对，即所谓的“疯狂”或“酒店之夜”。
这些狂欢是针对库姆斯的案件的核心，因为检察官指控这位说唱歌手利用他的员工、财富和影响力迫使女性参与，然后勒索或威胁她们保持沉默。根据证词，库姆斯会编排剧集，然后观看并自慰，而他的女朋友会与男妓发生性关系。
库姆斯对性交易、敲诈勒索和运输卖淫的指控表示不服。
在要求法官立即发布无罪判决后，辩方于周二停止了辩护。Subramian没有对该动议做出裁决，这是刑事案件中的标准做法。
双方的律师将于周三返回法庭，与法官一起研究将在审议开始前向陪审团发出的具体指示。
陪审团定于周四返回法庭听取结案陈词。审议最早可能于周五开始。
法官保留对库姆斯要求放弃案件的决定
检察官一停止起诉库姆斯，辩护律师就要求法官判库姆斯无罪。
这一被称为“定向裁决”的动议是一个论点，即检察官没有提出一个超越合理怀疑证明有罪的案件。辩护律师通常在政府休息后提出动议，法官很少批准这一请求。
辩护律师亚历山德拉·夏皮罗说:“没有证据表明库姆斯先生与任何其他人合谋违反了(敲诈勒索)法。”。“他们未能证明任何其他人实际上与他合谋管理这一长达20年的所谓犯罪事业。”
夏皮罗辩称，任何可能帮助库姆斯为“怪胎”安排酒店房间的员工，都是为库姆斯做“私人跑腿”的工作，并不知道房间里发生的性行为。
夏皮罗还针对联邦检察官提出的指控，他们认为库姆斯用燃烧弹袭击了说唱歌手卡迪小子拥有的保时捷，或者犯下贿赂罪，让一名目睹2016年袭击事件后果的保安保持沉默。
辩护律师还回到了他们在整个审判中的一个关键主题——尽管库姆斯可能参与了家庭暴力，过着非传统的性生活，但他没有犯罪，检察官未能证明他参与了性交易。
“家庭暴力不是性交易，”夏皮罗说。
库姆斯的律师拒绝在简短的辩护中传唤任何证人
库姆斯的辩护律师没有传唤任何证人，而是只宣读了记录中的一些项目。
辩护律师安娜·埃斯特瓦奥宣读了歌手凯茜·温图拉的短信交流，她表达了对库姆斯的爱，即使多年来联邦检察官认为库姆斯被强迫与男性陪同发生性关系。文图拉和库姆斯是长期的浪漫伙伴。
“底线，我爱你。你对我来说很重要，我知道这辈子再也不会有这样的爱情了，”文图拉在2012年的一条短信中写道。“除了做爱，和你说话是我最喜欢的事。”
在另一条信息中，文图拉告诉库姆斯，“我想你。”
康姆斯回应道，“那你打算怎么办?”文图拉回答说:“做你的小怪胎。”
辩护律师Teny Geragos也阅读了与证人的执法会议记录，表明一些证词与最初的陈述不同。
丹尼尔·菲利普(Daniel Phillip)是审判期间的第二名证人，他最初告诉陪审员，他看到库姆斯向文图拉扔了一个瓶子，“抓住她的头发，把她拖进了卧室。菲利普作证说，过了一会儿，库姆斯从卧室出来，问菲利普“你们准备好继续了吗?"
Geragos阅读了与Phillip会面的执法笔记，这似乎表明Combs说了一些其他的事情:“大约在2013年，Phillip看到Ventura受到人身攻击。库姆斯最终走了出来，说‘哟，伙计，我得处理这件事。“你需要把这该死的东西拿出来，”杰拉格斯读道。
虽然库姆斯的律师在没有任何证人的情况下进行了辩护，但他们花了几天时间彻底询问检方的证人，并利用交叉询问向陪审团陈述了他们的大部分论点。他们试图质疑所谓受害者的证词，强调与库姆斯交流的积极和爱的信息，并认为互动表明这些女性是自愿参加狂欢的。
Diddy trial day 32 recap: Combs declines to testify
Sean "Diddy" Combs may have made his fortune with lyrics, but told a judge Tuesday that he is reserving the right not to share his words by not taking the stand in his sex-trafficking trial, which is expected to conclude this week.
Combs' decision came about an hour after prosecutors rested their lengthy case against Combs, after calling 34 witnesses over 28 days. They spent seven weeks trying to convince a federal jury that the rap mogul used his business empire to coerce women into sex.
Facing the possibility of life in prison if convicted on all counts, Combs has remained largely silent since the trial began last month but confidently told the judge overseeing the case that he will not be testifying.
"That is my decision with my lawyers," said Combs, as his voice boomed through the hushed courtroom.
"How are you feeling today?" U.S. District Judge Arun Subramian asked Combs, standing to reply.
"I'm doing great, how are you, your honor? I want to tell you thank you. You're doing an excellent job," Combs said.
The moment marked a rare departure from the formality of the trial and the testimony, which has been marked by deeply emotional and at times disturbing testimony.
Following Combs' announcement, his lawyers presented a brief case, only showing the jury evidence that, they say, casts doubt on the testimony of some witnesses. Combs' attorneys said the evidence suggests the alleged victims in the case actually consented to the sometimes days-long sex parties known as "freak offs" or "hotel nights."
Those orgies are at the core of the case against Combs, as prosecutors have alleged the rapper used his employees, wealth and influence to pressure women to participate and then blackmailed or threatened them into silence. According to the testimony, Combs would choreograph the episodes and then watch and masturbate while his girlfriends would have sex with male prostitutes.
Combs has pleaded not guilty to the charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution.
The defense rested its case on Tuesday after asking the judge to issue an immediate acquittal. Subramian did not rule on that motion, which is standard in criminal cases.
Lawyers for both sides are set to return to court Wednesday to work with the judge on the specific instructions that will be issued to the jury before deliberations begin.
The jury is scheduled to return to court on Thursday to hear closing statements. Deliberations could start as early as Friday.
Judge reserves decision on Combs' request to toss case
As soon as prosecutors rested their case against Combs, defense lawyers asked the judge to find Combs not guilty of all charges.
The move – known as a motion for a "directed verdict" – is an argument that prosecutors did not present a case that proves guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Defense attorneys routinely make the motion after the government rests, and judges rarely grant the request.
"The evidence does not establish that Mr. Combs conspired with any other person to violate the (racketeering) statute," defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro said. "They failed to show that any other individual actually conspired with him to conduct the affairs of this 20-year purported criminal enterprise."
Shapiro argued that any employees who might have helped Combs set up hotel rooms for "freak offs" did the tasks as "personal errands" for Combs and did not know about the sexual activity that took place in the rooms.
Shapiro also took aim at allegations made by federal prosecutors, who have argued Combs firebombed the Porsche owned by rapper Kid Cudi or committed bribery to silence a security guard who witnessed the aftermath of a 2016 assault.
Defense lawyers also went back to one of their key themes from throughout the trial —while Combs may have engaged in domestic violence and led an unconventional sex life, he didn't commit a crime, and that prosecutors failed to prove he engaged in sex trafficking.
"Domestic violence is not sex trafficking," Shapiro said.
Combs' lawyers decline to call any witnesses during brief defense case
Combs' defense lawyers rested their case without calling any witnesses, instead only reading some items into the record.
Defense attorney Anna Estevao read exchanges of text messages from the singer Cassie Ventura, who expressed her love for Combs even after years of what federal prosecutors argued was coerced sex with male escorts. Ventura and Combs were longtime romantic partners.
"Bottom line, I love you. You are important to me, and I know I will never have a love like this in this lifetime," Ventura wrote in a 2012 message. "Besides making love, talking to you is my favorite thing."
In another message, Ventura told Combs, "I miss you."
Combs responded, "So what you going to do." Ventura replied, "Be your lil freak."
Defense attorney Teny Geragos also read notes from law enforcement sessions with witnesses, suggesting some of the testimony differed from original statements.
Daniel Phillip, the second witness to testify during the trial, originally told jurors that he saw Combs throw a bottle toward Ventura and "grabbed her by her hair and dragged her by her hair into the bedroom. Phillip testified Combs emerged from the bedroom a while later to ask Phillip "are you guys ready to continue?"
Geragos read law enforcement notes from a meeting with Phillip that seemed to indicate Combs said something else: "In approximately 2013, Phillip saw Ventura get physically assaulted. Combs eventually came back out and said 'Yo man I'm going to have to deal with this. You need to get the f—- out,'" Geragos read.
While Combs' attorneys presented a defense case without any witnesses, they spent days thoroughly questioning the prosecution's witnesses and using cross-examination to present the bulk of their arguments to the jury. They tried to cast doubt on the testimony of the alleged victims, highlighting positive and loving messages exchanged with Combs, and arguing the interactions suggest the women were willing participants in the orgies.
