Defense enters closing arguments phase

Agnifilo mocked law enforcement for their raids on Combs’ homes and making America “safe from Astroglide.”

Combs’ bedroom proclivities were on display all trial, but Agnifilo said the government didn’t make its case to show his client to be a criminal kingpin.

“Way to go fellas, you guys just do you,” Agnifilo said. “They took Astroglide and baby oil and that is the evidence in this case. There is nothing about the businesses to make it a criminal case.”

Agnifilo leaned heavily on the devotion of Combs employees who, even after testifying to violent or irrational behavior by their boss, said they were still grateful to work for him.

The attorney conceded that working for Combs was “like drinking from a fire hose,” but said that employees still appreciated the experience.

“Did they always like him? No way,” Agnifilo said. “But they loved him, even the ones who are suing him.”

Agnifilo accused prosecutors of putting his client on trial for his “lifestyle” and not a real crime.

“It is a trial of a lifestyle, if you want to call it swingers, that’s what it is, that is what the evidence shows,” he told jurors. “The prosecutors have charged one of the most serious complicated and comprehensive statutes on the books.”

The defense lawyer called his client a highly successful businessman.

“Sean Combs has become something that is very, very hard to be,” Agnifilo continued. “He is a self-made successful Black entrepreneur.”

Agnifilo began to address jurors in a final push to convince them that Combs is not guilty of running a criminal enterprise aimed at satisfying his sexual desires.

Agnifilo paced around the lectern and tested his microphone to see how far he could walk from it and still be heard by the court reporter.

U.S. District Court Judge Arun Subramanian gaveled court into session today in what figures to be the final pre-deliberation morning of this trial.

Combs entered the courtroom, gave his family a wave, a heart signal and then a thumbs-up.

Marc Agnifilo will deliver closing arguments for the defense from 9 a.m. and it should last three hours. That will be followed by the government’s rebuttal given by Maurene Comey, which should last an hour. Finally, Judge Arun Subramanian will deliver the jury charge.

Once the defense is through, U.S. District Court Judge Arun Subramanian could have up to two hours of instructions for jurors before they can start discussing evidence.

That should set up the panel to begin its deliberations late this afternoon or fresh Monday morning.

Next week is a short one, with the court not in session on July Fourth.

Defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo has said he hopes complete his closing arguments in about three hours.

As a comparison, the government had expected to wrap up its summation in four hours before Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik eventually took 4 hours and 49 minutes.