| |
Prosecution
sums up bribe, gun case against puffy
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reuters
NEW YORK:
Arguments concluded on Tuesday in the nightclub shooting trial
of Sean "Puffy" Combs as prosecutors asked a jury
to look beyond the hip hop star's fame and apply the law regardless
of the celebrities in the high-profile case.
Combs,
one of the biggest names in rap music, is on trial in New
York state Supreme Court, accused of bribery and gun possession
after a 1999 shooting in a Times Square nightspot, Club New
York, that left three people wounded. According to prosecutors,
Combs jostled another patron at the crowded club, sparking
a dispute that prompted his associate Jamaal "Shyne"
Barrow, a 21-year-old rapper, to open fire. Combs and his
entourage, including actress-singer Jennifer Lopez, fled in
a sport utility vehicle that police stopped after a chase
of several blocks. They found a gun in the car, and Combs
is accused of trying to bribe his driver to claim ownership
of the weapon.
Prosecutor
Matthew Bogdanos kicked off his daylong summation of the state's
case by playing dramatic recordings of emergency telephone
calls following the shootings on Dec. 27, 1999.
SCENE
SEEMS CHAOTIC
Some
of the recordings were barely audible, but several callers
sounded frantic and the scene seemed chaotic. "I played
the tape for you as a reminder that this is not the 'Puff
Daddy' trial. This is not the Jennifer Lopez trial. This is
not the Jamaal 'Shyne' Barrow trial," Bogdanos said.
"It's about three people who were shot in a club a little
over a year ago. Three defendants stand before you. Three
guns, and that's a fact."
Of the
wounded, Natanya Reubens, 30, has seven lead fragments lodged
in her head, and an eighth was surgically removed; Robert
Thompson, 39, was hit by a bullet in the right shoulder; and
Julius Jones, 27, was also shot in the right shoulder. Prosecutors
say three guns were involved -- an illegal 9mm handgun belonging
to Barrow, the gun found in the getaway car and a gun recovered
after police say it was thrown from the vehicle as it sped
through New York. Barrow faces attempted murder charges, while
Combs' bodyguard Anthony "Wolf" Jones faces charges
of bribery and illegal gun possession.
FROM
RAP TO WRAPS
Combs,
whose business empire includes Bad Boy Records and the Sean
John clothing line, faces a possible sentence of up to 15
years in prison if convicted of illegal gun possession. "What
do you do when a celebrity commits a crime? You do your job
regardless of who broke the law," said the prosecutor.
He said five people had testified seeing Combs with a gun
that night. "It's not the breaker," the prosecutor
said. "It's the law broken. Do not substitute their rhymes
for your reason."
Following
his summation, jurors were dismissed and ordered to return
to the courtroom on Wednesday morning for instructions from
Judge Charles Solomon. The instructions were expected to take
about two hours, and the jury was expected to begin deliberations
at midday. The panel includes seven men and five women. Seven
are black and five are white. Ranging in age from the 20s
to the 60s, they are a paralegal, a federal corrections officer,
a tax collector, a library worker, an undercover tax investigator,
a teacher, a diamond buyer for a department store, a mail
handler, three retirees and an unemployed person.
In closing
arguments on Monday, defense attorneys for Combs and his bodyguard
argued that the entertainer was the victim of people seeking
to profit from his fame and fortune. Damages being sought
in separate lawsuits against Combs stemming from the incident
total more than $1 billion. All three of the wounded have
filed suit.
TOP
|
Other
Stories...
 The Vengaboys party in Delhi
Kiwis woo Bollywood now
‘This film is on its way to becoming a classic’
Ex-Spice girl Geri gets driving ban
Mae West TV film in development for Dolly Parton
Koteeswaran -- UTV bags marketing rights
MTV -- Enjoying its 3-D outlook on youth
|
