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Sean Combs’ Legal Team Seeks to Block Expert Witness in Sex Trafficking Trial
Attorneys for Sean Combs are attempting to disqualify a clinical psychologist from testifying as an expert for the prosecution in his upcoming trial on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. In a recent legal filing, Combs’ defense argued that the psychologist’s “testimony is advocacy disguised as expertise” and should be completely excluded from the proceedings. The defense is making efforts to challenge the testimony to protect their client in the high-profile sex trafficking case which has garnered significant media attention.
Defense Challenges Psychologist’s Expertise
In a 35-page motion submitted on Wednesday, Alexandra A.E. Shapiro, a member of Combs’ legal team, argued that Dawn Hughes, a New York City-based clinical and forensic psychologist specializing in sexual abuse, domestic violence, and psychological trauma, offers generalized opinions on abuse and reactions to abuse, rather than individualized assessments. Shapiro contends these generalized views diminish the value of her professional opinions in this specific case.
Hughes, who has not personally evaluated Combs, his accusers, or the evidence in this particular case, previously served as a prosecution witness in the sex trafficking trials of R&B artist R. Kelly and NXIVM leader Keith Raniere. Both cases were high-profile and involved similar charges.
Past Testimony in High-Profile Cases
R. Kelly, legally known as Robert Sylvester Kelly, was convicted in 2021 on multiple charges, including racketeering and sex trafficking. Keith Raniere received a conviction in 2019 for racketeering and sex trafficking, among other offenses. Notably, Marc Agnifilo, another of Combs’ attorneys, also represented Raniere in his trial. Kelly, a successful R&B singer, received a 30-year prison sentence, while Raniere was sentenced to 120 years.
According to the motion, if Hughes is permitted to testify in Combs’ trial, she is expected to present her expert opinions on topics such as:
- Sexual abuse and victim responses
- Coercive control dynamics
- Coping mechanisms during and after sexual abuse
- Delayed reporting of sexual abuse
Hughes’ previous testimonies in the Kelly and Raniere trials focused on coercive control and sexual abuse, establishing a precedent for her potential role in the Combs case.
Details of the Allegations Against Combs
Federal prosecutors have alleged that Combs compelled at least three women, identified in his indictment as Victim-1, Victim-2, and Victim-3, to engage in commercial sex. The indictment details accusations that Combs subjected his victims to verbal mistreatment, violence, threats of violence, and threats of financial and reputational damage.
Prosecutors further claim Combs engaged in the practice of employing male sex workers for drug-related sexual encounters. These allegations initially surfaced in a 2023 civil lawsuit filed by Casandra Ventura, known as Cassie, Combs’ former girlfriend and an artist previously signed to his record label.
Ventura’s civil complaint alleged that Combs coerced her into these sexual encounters, although Combs’ legal team maintains they were consensual. While Ventura is not directly identified in the criminal indictment, many of the charges closely resemble the accusations she made in her lawsuit. The civil matter was resolved privately, and Combs admitted no wrongdoing as part of the settlement.
Combs has entered a plea of not guilty to the criminal charges and remains in custody without bail.
Arguments Regarding Expert Testimony
The motion highlights the prosecution’s stated intention for Hughes’ testimony, which is “to explain how the overarching dynamic of victimization is an abuse of power and control where the perpetrator engages in self-centered behavior to satisfy his own goals and desires regardless of the needs, wants, and well-being of the victim.” The motion further quotes the government as stating, “Although coercive control is commonly discussed in the context of intimate partner violence, the use of coercive control strategies can be used by perpetrators to gain and maintain control in a broad range of interpersonal relationships, including employment relationships, among others.”
Expert Anticipates Testimony Will Be Permitted
Elizabeth Geddes, a former federal prosecutor involved in the successful prosecution of R. Kelly, expressed skepticism about the motion’s likelihood of success. Geddes noted that she presented Hughes as a witness in Kelly’s trial to discuss coercive control and affirmed Hughes’ qualifications as an expert in numerous cases.
“And she not having any exposure to the facts of Kelly’s case, any of the allegations of the victims, just testified about, generally speaking, how individuals obtain and maintain control,” Geddes clarified.
Purpose of Expert Witness Testimony
In a recent interview, Geddes emphasized that expert witnesses are not required to personally examine any victim. According to Geddes, Hughes’ testimony “is not going to be about any one victim or specifics of any one victim, but much more generally, to explain to the jury how individuals use coercive control to obtain and maintain control.”
“We called her as a witness to generally help the jury understand how predators use certain tools to obtain and maintain control over their victims, because otherwise some of the conduct may not have made sense to the jury,” Geddes explained. “And it seems like that’s exactly what the government is trying to do in the Sean Combs case, and I expect that the court will allow it to do it.”