Judge Rips Lawyer for Slur Against Prosecutors in Diddy Trial

• Diddy's trial judge strongly rebuked an attorney who referred to the prosecutors as "a six-pack of white women."
• Mark Geragos, part of Sean Combs' legal defense team, discussed the case during an appearance on his TMZ podcast.
• The judge called the remarks "outrageous" in a closed-door meeting.

The judge presiding over the criminal sex trafficking case against Sean "Diddy" Combs strongly rebuked an attorney from his defense team during a private hearing, labeling remarks the lawyer had made on a TMZ podcast as "outlandish."

During a Tuesday morning meeting in U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanjian's robing chamber, the judge severely criticized the attorney. Mark Geragos , for describing the all-female prosecution team as "a six-pack of white women."

When you make statements such as 'six women, all white' during a podcast, implying you have a 'six-pack of white women,' Subramanian stated to Geragos, based on a court transcript of the meeting. 'That kind of comment isn’t—shouldn’t be made by someone serving as an officer of the Court and a member of the bar,' he added.

Geragos — a criminal defense lawyer who has defended notable figures such as Michael Jackson and Hunter Biden — discussed the Combs case during a recent episode of "2 Angry Men." This is a podcast he hosts alongside Harvey Levin, the founding figure of TMZ.

In addition to describing them as "a six-pack of white women," Geragos said the prosecutors mischaracterized a surveillance video where Combs beat his former partner Cassie Ventura in a hotel hallway , saying Combs was upset because she took her phone.

"Have you ever had a situation where your significant other took your cellphone?" Geragos said on the podcast. "And does that take you from 0 to 60 really quick?"

Submaranian admonished Geragos for the comments about the prosecutors, saying he violated a court rule barring lawyers involved in ongoing cases from making "extrajudicial comments" about them.

This indicates a challenging beginning for the legal team handling Combs' case. The prosecutors have charged the artist behind "I'll Be Missing You" with sexual assault and organized crime activities, both of which he refutes. Jury selection started this week, with the proceedings anticipated to continue for as long as eight weeks.

Geragos did not promptly reply to requests for commentary.

Up until the robing room meeting on Tuesday morning, it was uncertain exactly how involved Geragos was with the case. On both Monday and Tuesday, he participated as part of Combs’ legal team in the proceedings for selecting jurors at the courthouse in Lower Manhattan, yet he hasn’t officially entered an appearance in this matter. In response to the uncertainty surrounding his position, prosecutors tackled the issue head-on in their communication to the judge early Tuesday. They referenced remarks made by Geragos on his podcast and requested that the judge intervene to prevent further public commentary from him regarding the ongoing case.

During the pre-trial conference, Geragos mentioned that he is counsel for Combs' mother and communicates with the renowned hip-hop artist very often.

Geragos informed Subramanian that he thinks the regulation prohibiting "extra-judicial remarks" has been distorted over time and now hinders defendants' rights to a fair trial. Additionally, he mentioned that he has avoided critiquing the attorneys representing the defendant. women who have alleged that Combs sexually assaulted them .

Geragos stated, 'I believe that when a Black man is facing prosecution and perceives himself as being singled out, this observation holds true.'

“I find this absurd,” Submaranian retorted. “Calling the prosecutors in this case ‘a six-pack of white women’ is completely unacceptable.”

Mary Slavik, one of the prosecutors, mentioned that Geragos's podcast was subscribed to by millions and expressed concern that his comments might influence the jurors involved in the case.

She mentioned that the TMZ podcast featuring Mr. Geragos boasts several million subscribers," he stated. "In my view, the risk of his comments contaminating the jury pool poses a significant threat.

Submaranian mentioned he will keep an eye on "2 Angry Men" for any further remarks Geragos might have regarding the case.

"You have one more listener for your podcast," the judge said.

"So long as you're subscribing, I'm fully supportive of it," Geragos replied.

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