By Olaitan Ibrahim
The federal judge presiding over music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs’ human trafficking case is very unhappy with a famous lawyer.
According to Business Insider, the judge, Arun Subramanian, “sharply criticized” attorney Mark Geragos “in a closed-door meeting,” labeling comments Geragos made on a TMZ podcast “outrageous.”
Business Insider described Geragos as a member of Combs’ family’s “legal team.”
According to Business Insider, the judge was upset by a comment Geragos made about the prosecution team. He referred to the state’s lawyers as “a six-pack of white women,” the publication reported. The prosecution team is entirely female, Business Insider reported.
Geragos defended himself to the judge, according to ABC 7.
“I think when you’ve got a Black man who’s being prosecuted and the client feels like he’s being targeted, it’s a — it’s an observation,” Geragos told the judge, according to ABC 7, which obtained a transcript.
“I think this is ridiculous,” the judge responded, the television station reported. “I think referring to the prosecution in this case as a six-pack of white women is outrageous. All right. And I understand what you’re saying about the cases and everything else, but I think this is outrageous and this would not be tolerated in any court from any lawyer anywhere across the nation.”
The judge told Geragos to “exhibit some caution,” reported ABC 7, which noted that Geragos’s daughter Teny “is a primary member of the defense team.”
“I got it,” Geragos said.
Although Geragos was in court on May 5, when jury selection started in Combs’ case, he “doesn’t have clearance to participate, and frequently discusses the case on his podcast, 2 Angry Men,” TMZ reported.
According to TMZ, prosecutors accused the defense lawyers of appearing to have consulted with Geragos in court. They also said, in a letter to the judge, that he has spoken about a video that will likely be used in the case.
Geragos is not officially a member of the defense, but prosecutors want the judge to bar him from making public comments on the high-profile case all the same, Rolling Stone reported.
Geragos has represented top celebrities and defendants in the past, including Michael Jackson, Chris Brown, and the Menendez Brothers, Rolling Stone noted.