called the verdict<\/a> a \u201cstain on the criminal justice system,\u201d and \u201can indictment of a culture in which not believing women and victims of sexual assault remains endemic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\tLegal experts say the verdict was also a big loss for the team of prosecutors who tried the case for the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office in the Southern District of New York. Yes, the prosecutors managed to convict Combs of two counts of transportation for prostitution under the Mann Act \u2013 securing some sort of prison sentence for the rich and powerful defendant. But that was the \u201clow-hanging fruit\u201d in the government\u2019s sprawling investigation and prosecution of Combs, Alyse Adamson, a former assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, tells\u00a0Rolling Stone<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\t\u201cThis is a huge, huge blow,\u201d Adamson says, referring to prosecutors and the complicated case they put on with 34 witnesses over nearly two months of trial. \u201cThis is a huge win for Combs.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tBrad Bailey, another former federal prosecutor who now works as a defense attorney in Boston, says the verdict \u201ccertainly suggests an overreach on the part of the Southern District.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThey\u2019ve expended a great deal of resources. Six prosecutors on the case is an inordinately high number to commit to any one case. They also have committed a great deal of law enforcement resources in terms of the investigating agents. There was a big splash with the high-profile searches with guns drawn at his residences \u2026 so this is an embarrassment in terms of what could have been an overreach,\u201d Bailey says. \u201cOn the other hand, you never know what type of factor notoriety and fame place on these cases, and that\u2019s always the wild card \u2013 the unknown X factor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n
\t\tEditor\u2019s picks<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n
\n\tBailey noted that the jury signaled more than once to the judge that they were having trouble reaching consensus with the clock ticking. When they were selected, the judge told them he expected they would be finished with the trial by the Fourth of July holiday this week. \u201cMy guess is that this is a jury that was tired and wanted to go home and there was contentiousness in there,\u201d Bailey says, \u201cand they just decided that this was the proper reflection of the evidence as presented.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cI\u2019m as pro-prosecution as they come. But you have to respect the jury verdict. The jurors rejected these allegations. This was a failed prosecution,\u201d Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor now working as a victims\u2019 rights attorney in Los Angeles, tells Rolling Stone<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\tRahmani says the outcome of Combs\u2019 very high-profile trial will likely have a chilling effect on the willingness of other victims and prosecutors to move forward with other cases. \u201cThere\u2019s no question,\u201d he says. \u201cImagine going and testifying before 12 strangers and telling them that you were urinated on in your mouth \u2026 that you were forced to have sex on your period or while you had UTIs, and the jurors don\u2019t believe you? You\u2019re talking about the most graphic, explicit, personal details of your sex life, and they think you\u2019re a liar.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cI\u2019ve had maybe over 100 conversations in my office when I\u2019m talking to a victim, and I explained what a civil or criminal trial entails and that you\u2019re going to have to testify publicly and you\u2019re going to be cross-examined and you have to tell your story and relive your trauma in a very public way,\u201d he adds. \u201cEight out of 10 say they can\u2019t do it. After this, it\u2019s probably going to be nine out of 10.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n
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\n\tJay Clayton, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, released a statement after the Combs verdict was delivered, saying he wanted to \u201crecognize\u00a0the important work\u201d of the SDNY\u2019s work seeking to combat human trafficking. He did not mention Combs by name.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cSex\u00a0crimes\u00a0deeply scar victims, and the disturbing reality is that sex\u00a0crimes\u00a0are\u00a0all too present in many aspects of\u00a0our\u00a0society.\u00a0 Victims endure gut-wrenching physical and mental abuse, leading to lasting trauma. New Yorkers and all Americans want this scourge stopped\u00a0and perpetrators\u00a0brought\u00a0to justice,\u201d Clayton said. \u201cProsecuting sex\u00a0crimes\u00a0requires brave victims to come forward and tell their harrowing stories.\u00a0 We and our law enforcement partners recognize the hardships victims endure and have prioritized a victim-centered approach to investigating and prosecuting these cases.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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