After seven long weeks of litigation, the trial of Sean “Puffy” Combs is coming to an end.
Closing arguments began Monday in the rapper/producer’s trial, in which Combs, 31, is accused of illegal gun possession and bribery. Manhattan police arrested Combs in December of 1999 following a nightclub shooting that left three people wounded.
Combs’ defense attorneys are expected to deliver their closing arguments late in the day on Monday, but attorneys for Anthony “Wolf” Jones, 34, a co-defendant in the case, have already offered up their opinions on the integrity of one of the witnesses. Wardell Fenderson, the man accusing Combs of bribery – stating that the rapper offered him $50,000 to lie about who owned a 9mm pistol used in the shooting – has drawn heavy fire from Jones’ attorney, Michael Bachner.
“Fenderson had a 9mm gun in the (Lincoln) Navigator,” Bachner told the jury. “Fenderson is a liar, a good liar. Look carefully at his motive and you’ll see he is a liar.”
The seven-man, five-woman jury is expected to commence deliberations Tuesday to determine if Combs is indeed guilty of wrongdoing in the incident. He’s facing a 15-year prison sentence if convicted of illegal gun possession.
