Diddy's lawyers reportedly ask for a mistrial, judges dismisses the motion

Music executive Sean “Diddy” Combs’ lawyers moved for a mistrial on May 28. Combs is currently facing charges related to s*x-trafficking and racketeering. The trial began on May 12 with opening statements and witness testimonies.

The defense’s move for a mistrial was related to the prosecution’s line of questioning concerning the burning of rapper Kid Cudi's car in 2012, according to ABC News. The publication reported that the prosecutors questioned Los Angeles Fire Department’s arson investigator, Lance Jimenez, about the destruction of fingerprint evidence linked to the incident involving Kid Cudi, who was dating Comb’s former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, at the time.

People Magazine noted that defense lawyer, Alexandra Shapiro, said about the prosecution,

“They were trying to plant this idea to the these jurors that Mr. Combs authorized this.”

According to ABC News, the judge presiding over Diddy’s trial, Arun Subramanian, rejected the mistrial request, but asked the jury to overlook testimony related to the destruction of evidence.

About the evidence related to arson directed at Kid Cudi’s car

In 2012, Kid Cudi’s Porsche was targeted using a makeshift Molotov cocktail. According to the New York Post, Lance Jimenez testified at Combs' trial and said,

“The car was not visible form the street… I believe the Porsche was targeted close to the home. It’s also an area where you don’t see a lot of crime activity… My experience… I personally felt it was targeted.”

As per the publication, the Molotov cocktail was created using a malt liquor bottle and what appeared to be a designer silk handkerchief soaked in gasoline. The New York Post reported that Jimenez testified that the silky material of the handkerchief made the cocktail less impactful.

Combs’ defense objected to the line of questioning when Jimenez was asked if it was “unusual” that fingerprint evidence related to the incident, which was destroyed at the order of someone from the Los Angeles Police Department, noted CBS News.

Kid Cudi had taken the stand earlier at Diddy’s trial

Earlier, Kid Cudi, whose real name is Scott Mescudi, had appeared on the witness stand to give his testimony in Diddy Combs’ trial. Cudi’s testimony came during the third week of the trial, which has seen celebrities like Cassie Ventura and Dawn Richard also take the witness stand.

As per Kid Cudi’s testimony, he was the recipient of alleged aggressive and violent behavior by Diddy as Cudi’s relationship with Ventura had made the music mogul jealous, reported Rolling Stone.

During his testimony at the trial, Cudi said that when he began dating Ventura, she disclosed that she was not in a relationship with Combs anymore, noted Rolling Stone. The publication also reported that Cudi revealed during his testimony that he got a frantic call from Ventura one morning, when she, extremely nervously, told him that Diddy had come to know of their relationship and was very angry about it.

Kid Cudi’s testimony made note of a break-in at his residence in December 2011, and the rapper further stated that his car was firebombed in January 2012, as per BBC.

According to the report by the BBC, Cudi also alleged in his testimony that Diddy Combs was responsible for the actions against him, which were a consequence of the jealousy he harbored against Cudi for dating Ventura.

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