Before his defense briefly presents his case, Sean “Diddy” combs spoke openly in the courthouse for the first time in weeks. During the seventh week, Diddy finally answered the burning question that the trial observers asked. Will he testify? This answer is no. And in the middle of the confirmation, Combs also launched Judge Arun Subramanian A little compliment. This came after the judge reserved his decision on a request for acquittal on all accusations.

In relation: A chronology of Diddy’s past charges and the only time he was acquitted in 2001

Combs, 55, pleaded not guilty. He remained incarcerated without surety in a federal locking in Brooklyn after several judges blocked his deposit calls last year.

Summary on both sides resting their case

Today, the accusation rested after more than six weeks of presentation of evidence against the Maven Hip-Hop. In a routine decision after the prosecutors rest during criminal trials, Combw lawyers have advanced arguments to throw the accusations. They said the accusations were not proven. Judge Arun Subramanian said he would govern on a later date. Diddy was acquitted before once in his career in 2001 of all the accusations linked to a nightclub shooting, while Shyne served nine years for this.

Later in the afternoon, the defense rested without calling any witness. In comparison, prosecutors called 34 witnesses to try to prove sex trafficking and racketeering accusations that resulted in a penalty arrest in September.

However, the defense affirms that the prosecutors have not proven these accusations or that the two ex-girlfriends of Diddy felt constrained in marathon sex events with male workers. Instead, defense lawyers say that “freak-offs” or “hotel nights” were consensual sex meetings in accordance with the life of swingers.

Diddy says that to the trial judge

For the context, these are standard practice in federal criminal trials so that the judge directly questions the defendant on the opportunity to testify. This guarantees that the accused knows that it is his decision, regardless of what his lawyers told him. When Subramanian called into question the combs after the prosecutors rested, the judge asked him how he was going.

“I’m fine, your honor,” The founder of Bad Boy Entertainment replied, before volunteering a compliment to the judge before another question could be asked. “I want to say thank you, you are doing a great job”, Said combs. The judge replied, “Thank you, I appreciate it.”

Combs said that he had “completely” discussed the issue with his lawyers before deciding not to testify. “This is my decision, your honor,” said Combs, adding: “It’s only my decision.” Pushed by the judge, he specified more: “I mean, it’s my decision with my lawyers. … my decision to make. I do.”

More details on the last 7 weeks of trials

Since the start of the trial in early May, government witnesses have included former employees of Combs companies. However, most of the evidence came from the testimony of two former girlfriends: Casandra “Cassie” Ventura and an internet personality that testified under the pseudonym “Jane”.

Ventura testified for four days during the first week of the test. The 38 -year -old said that she felt under pressure to get involved in hundreds of “frequencies” because the meetings would allow him to be intimate with combs after having sexually played with male workers. He would have watched them hide with baby oil and sometimes filmed the meetings.

Meanwhile, Jane testified for six days on the sexual performance which she described as “hotel nights”. She said she put them in perspective after starting therapy three months ago. She said that she felt forced to engage in them as recently as in August, but that he did it because she loved and still loves combs. Ventura was in contact with Combs from 2007 to 2018, while Jane was frequently with him from 2021 to her arrest. The arrest canceled his plan to meet him at the New York Hotel where the Federals arrested him.

Defense lawyers interviewed the witnesses throughout the trial to argue in the event of an exemption. Several of them have undergone forced or only after obtaining the immunity from any crime they have committed.

No testimony, but he defended himself from his headquarters

Combs was active in his defense. He wrote notes to his lawyers, sometimes helping them to decide when to stop questioning a witness. Once, the judge called him to nod his head with enthusiasm towards the jurors during a successful time-to-report by one of his lawyers. Prosecutors complained that his gestures were a form of testimony without being subject to a counter-examination. The judge warned that he could exclude Diddy from his trial if it happened.

During last week, the prosecutors and defense lawyers showed jurors more than 40 minutes of registration combs made of “freak offs” or “hotel nights”. Several jurors sometimes seemed delicate by considering and listening to the audio of the meetings, but most did not seem to react. Closing arguments are expected to start on Thursday.

In relation: Diddy Trial Week 7: The proceedings share the final arguments, the defense presents briefly and rests a case in the middle of the appeal to an acquittal of all the federal accusations (live updates)

The staff of the Associated Press, Michael R. Sisak and Larry Neumeister, contributed to this report via AP Newsroom.