Celebrity Lawyer Explains Cassie Ventura’s Cross Examination

[Source: CBS News]

Celebrity lawyer and legal analyst Christopher C. Melcher, who is ranked as a best family law attorney in California, explains Cassie Ventura‘s cross examination in the Diddy federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial.

Lindsey Reiser:

Sean Diddy Combs attorneys cross-examined his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura on day four of the hip-hop mogul’s federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial. And we want to warn you, some may find the details in this report disturbing. The defense focused on text messages between Ventura and Combs. The 38-year-old singer also talked about the couple’s drug use during their time together. The judge has told the defense to wrap up its cross-examination by Friday afternoon because Ventura’s attorneys are concerned she may give birth. Combs has pleaded not guilty in this case, and faces up to life in prison if convicted. CBS News, national correspondent Jericka Duncan was inside the courtroom in New York City. Jericka?

What Diddy’s Lawyers Asked Cassie Ventura

CaJericka Duncan:

Yeah. The defense opened their questioning by saying, “You and Sean Combs were in love for 11 years, and you believed he needed someone to take care of him. Is that correct?” At which point Ventura said, “At times, yes, I did.” Most of the testimony today was spent rehashing previous testimony, but also putting in exhibits that show Cassie Ventura was a participating person in these freak-offs.

Many times the defense would ask her if she wrote these text messages or emails, which she did confirm. And it showed sort of times where she was getting supplies for the freak-offs or saying she was excited about them. There were also several explicit messages which we can’t even share with you, but essentially she described saying things like, “I can’t wait to do certain things with certain people outside of Sean Combs.” There were other things that were mentioned, I should say, about drug use. Both of them admitting that there was an addiction problem.

And when I say both of them, I mean Sean Combs, I saw a lot of times nodding his head to this idea that they used painkillers and that that was part of their relationship. It’ll be interesting to see what happens moving forward because a lot of what the prosecution said is that Cassie Ventura was forced into these situations, and that Sean Combs essentially controlled everything. But the defense was trying to contradict that by laying out a number of texts and emails that show she was a willing participant many times. Of course, Cassie Ventura expected to take the stand tomorrow and will be finished according to attorneys, hopefully by Friday. Back to you.

Lindsey Reiser:

Jericka Duncan, thank you. For more, let’s bring in celebrity lawyer and top family law attorney Chris Melcher. He’s also a former sex crimes defense attorney and is a partner of Walzer Melcher Yoda LLP, which was named a best family law firm in Los Angeles, CA. Chris, thanks for being here. Help us understand the defense strategy on focusing between consent and coercion.

Diddy’s Defense Strategy on Consent

Christopher C. Melcher:

Well, the defense was effective in showing that she was a willing participant, at least apparently according to her own messages to Diddy with some of these freak-offs. And now the question for the jury is that was she really acting voluntarily? But the prosecutor did a good job in opening and getting ahead of this by saying that she had to pretend to enjoy these things or else she would be attacked by him. And this was also started as a loving relationship, at least she thought so. Maybe at the beginning she was trying to appease him and then it just became what we saw really sick and depraved conduct.

Lindsey Reiser:

When it comes to the apparent consent from these text messages, do you expect the prosecution will go into the complexities, the psychological nuances? What happens to an alleged victim when they are embroiled in a relationship with alleged abuse and domestic violence?

Psychology of domestic violence in relationships

Christopher C. Melcher:

They absolutely have to do that. There is this cycle of violence and people who have experienced this unfortunately understand very well how someone could start into a relationship with they think is loving and normal, and then all of a sudden just kind of day by day being where she found herself. And so I think what’s going to probably turn most of these jurors on her side is that some of this conduct that we’ve heard about and we really can’t even describe, is something that no one would ever volunteer or participate in unless they were forced. And then of course we saw the video of him beating her at the elevator scene. So I think that that’s going to really be pivotal.

Lindsey Reiser:

And Chris, that said, what are some of the biggest hurdles you see for the prosecution to overcome when it comes to proving this was part of a criminal enterprise?

Largest Hurdle to overcome in Diddy Trial

Christopher C. Melcher:

Well, Lindsay, this is the problem is that this conduct that we’ve heard about is horrific, but what he’s being charged with is this RICO criminal enterprise. And we haven’t really heard that yet. This is an enterprise of one person doing this for his own gratification. Even his employees that assisted him in this, it’s alleged to have abused them also. So it’s not like he’s running a prostitution ring or profiting off of this. He was doing it for his own gratification. And I think that’s where the jurors are going to have trouble with and saying, how does that conduct, which we all would think is horrible and feel sorry for Cassie and the other victims, but how does that really constitute running a criminal enterprise?

Lindsey Reiser:

All right, Chris Melcher, we really appreciate it. Thank you. Make sure to follow him over on Twitter at @CA_Divorce.