Sean Combs trial updates: Judge sticks with juror dismissal decision

On cross-examination of the government's first summary witness, paralegal Ananya Sankar, defense attorney Teny Geragos highlighted messages that the defense contends downplay the role of Sean Combs employees in allegedly procuring drugs for him.

In one such text message, Kristina Khorram, Combs' former chief of staff, said that she doesn't talk to Guido, whom the prosecution said is a drug dealer, but that Combs talks to Guido himself.

Sankar is now off the witness stand.

The next witness is Special Agent DeLeassa Penland of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, who reviewed charts and data. She is a second summary witness for the prosecution.

The jury is seeing more text messages that the prosecution is presenting with the intent to show how Sean Combs and his team reacted to former Combs girlfriend Cassie Ventura's lawsuit against him.

Combs' former assistant, who previously testified under the pseudonym "Mia," told the jury that Combs' bodyguard Damian Butler, known as D-Roc, repeatedly called and texted her in the days and weeks after news of the lawsuit became public, urging her to talk to Combs.

D-Roc is not testifying but a summary witness read for the court some of the call and text logs from his phone that appear to show him in close communication with Combs while he is chatting with "Mia."

"Mia" testified that the outreach from D-Roc and Combs "terrified" her. The messages appear to show that "Mia" brushed off D-Roc's repeated offers to "send my sister a gift."

Federal prosecutors allege that Combs orchestrated a criminal enterprise with the assistance of his bodyguards to pressure witnesses like "Mia" through attempted bribery "to stay silent and not report what they experienced or knew."

The jury is seeing and hearing a disjointed smattering of text and audio messages meant to try and reinforce testimony from other witnesses about hotel rooms, drugs and travel.

Prosecutors presented one group of messages between Sean Combs' chief of staff Kristina Khorram and Combs' travel arranger Jessica Ruiz discussing a flight for "Jane," a prior witness and ex-girlfriend of Combs who testified under a pseudonym, and a male escort named Paul.

Another group of messages involved discussions of paying a drug dealer, and Combs' request for 15 molly pills.

Prosecutors also presented a text from one of Combs' assistants that read, "got to reup on baby oil and s---" after receiving instructions to set up a hotel room for a "freak-off" sex session with former Combs girlfriend Cassie Ventura.

The prosecution told the court that the messages were taken from electronic devices seized from Khorram, who has not testified during the trial. Khorram has denied any wrongdoing.

In a 2018 exchange presented to the jury, after Ventura texted Khorram "I can't do the violence," Khorram messaged back, "stay focused, not worth derailing."

The racketeering and sex trafficking trial of Sean Combs begins a sixth week of testimony today with a pair of summary witnesses meant to help the jury organize the hundreds of exhibits they have seen so far.

We've been told it is possible that Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, will make another appearance early this week, as he did last Friday.

The last substantive witness for the prosecution is expected to be a former assistant to Combs, Brendan Paul.

Prosecutors have said they expect to rest their case as soon as Wednesday and no later than Friday. There will be no court proceedings Thursday, which is the Juneteenth federal holiday.