Plaintiffs in 14 lawsuits call Diddy a rapist. These accusers can clinch or crash his criminal case.

• Plaintiffs successful 14 lawsuits telephone Sean Combs a rapist, including 8 who sued successful nan past 2 weeks.
• Credible plaintiffs tin thief prosecutors triumph nan Combs criminal case, ineligible experts say.
• Combs' broadside is already portraying plaintiffs arsenic financial opportunists who are not to beryllium believed.

The sex-trafficking indictment against Sean "Diddy" Combs mentions a azygous cooperating accuser, a erstwhile longtime woman referred to only arsenic "Victim-1."

Legal experts judge she won't beryllium unsocial for overmuch longer.

Plaintiffs from Combs' increasing number of intersexual maltreatment lawsuits whitethorn soon subordinate her, arsenic "Victim-2," "Victim-3," and beyond, successful an updated indictment, seasoned New York defense attorneys predict.

"You tin stake nan US Attorney's Office is interviewing nan attorneys, if not nan clients themselves," lawyer Michael Farkas, a erstwhile New York prosecutor.

While beardown civilian accusers — those offering proof, corroboration, and believable grounds — tin thief prosecutors triumph a criminal trial, their financial liking successful nan result of nan lawsuit makes them susceptible to cross-examination.

"If they are credible, they could magnitude to very powerful grounds against Mr. Combs, either arsenic further charges aliases arsenic witnesses called to nan guidelines to show a pattern," Farkas said.

"But nan US attorneys will usage be aware successful each these plaintiff interviews, entertaining astatine slightest nan anticipation that these are claims of opportunity," he said.

Defense lawyers person already signaled that this will beryllium a statement of onslaught against "Victim-1."

While she is not identified by sanction successful tribunal papers, her specifications successful nan indictment lucifer those successful a quickly settled $30 cardinal suit brought successful November by Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura, nan rap mogul's longtime girlfriend.

Ventura's attorney, Douglas Wigdor, declined to remark connected this story.

"There's 30 cardinal reasons" to uncertainty her credibility, Combs lawyer Marc Agnifilo told a judge during bail arguments past month. "One for each dollar that was being sued for."

Any dent successful a witness's credibility tin harm a case, said Stacey Richman, a Bronx-based lawyer who has represented rappers including Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, and Ja Rule.

"If they judge a witnesser has intentionally testified falsely arsenic to immoderate worldly fact, nan jurors whitethorn disregard nan witness's full testimony," said Richman. "And if location is capable momentum pinch aggregate witnesses, it tin destabilize nan full case."

Farkas, Richman, and different criminal defense lawyers pinch national acquisition told BI prosecutors will beryllium particularly willing successful nan astir superior of nan 2 twelve civilian claims brought successful nan twelvemonth since Ventura's lawsuit opened nan Combs litigation floodgates.

So far, 11 women and 3 men allege they were raped by nan euphony mogul aft being beaten aliases drugged astatine parties he threw successful Manhattan, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas complete nan past 3 decades. Nearly a twelve further plaintiffs allege intersexual maltreatment without utilizing nan connection rape.

In a suit revenge this week, a Jane Doe from Alabama said she was 13 years old erstwhile Combs and an unnamed "Celebrity A" raped her astatine an after-party for nan 2000 MTV Video Music Awards.

The suit was 1 of 13 cases filed successful nan past 2 weeks by The Buzbee Law Firm successful Houston. Founding lawyer Tony Buzbee says he'll record 120 successful total.

"We expect to beryllium filing cases play naming Mr. Combs and others arsenic defendants arsenic we proceed to stitchery grounds and hole nan filings," he told BI.

Combs remains successful a national jailhouse successful Brooklyn arsenic he appeals his denial of bail and awaits trial. His indictment alleges he engaged successful a decades-long shape of beingness and intersexual violence, including during elaborate dayslong activity performances called "freak-offs." He has pleaded not guilty, and his lawyers person said that nan charged behaviour was consensual.

In tribunal papers relating to nan criminal case, defense attorneys person utilized nan words "false" and "outright absurd" successful referring to nan lawsuits' allegations. Members of nan defense squad declined to remark for this story.

A spokesperson for nan US attorney's agency besides declined comment.

The vetting will beryllium rigorous

The vetting of these imaginable plaintiffs-turned-federal-witnesses will beryllium rigorous, said Michael Bachner, a erstwhile New York charismatic who was portion of Combs' defense squad successful 2001, during a Manhattan guns and bribery proceedings that ended successful nan rap mogul's acquittal.

"They'll want to know, is location corroboration aliases proof?" Bachner said of national prosecutors. "Many of these allegations are decades aged — are location infirmary records? Is location an mentation for a 13-year-old going to a VMA party? Why was she alone?"

This vetting is already good underway.

Federal prosecutors person been interviewing plaintiffs for months successful a less-than-secretive process, defense lawyers complained recently, successful asking Combs' Manhattan judge to gag imaginable witnesses and their attorneys.

Combs shaper Rodney "Lil Rod" Jones filed a $30 cardinal suit successful February alleging intersexual battle and harassment, allegations Combs has denied and is seeking to person dismissed.

Last week, Tyrone Blackburn, an lawyer for Jones, told a national judge successful Manhattan that he and his customer person met many times pinch prosecutors, pinch Jones drafting a representation of Combs' location and sharing photos, according to Law 360.

Blackburn, who besides represents Combs accuser Liza Gardner, did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.

Blackburn dropped Jones' claims against UMG Recordings, Motown Records, and Universal Music Group successful May aft nan euphony companies' attorneys complained of inconsistencies successful nan lawsuit.

Another of nan Combs lawsuits, filed successful July by big movie character Adria English, likewise deed ineligible shoals this period erstwhile her attorneys successfully asked to retreat from nan case, citing "irreconcilable differences" pinch English, according to tribunal filings. The attorneys did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.

Experts said Combs' defense lawyers will effort to impugn nan financial motives of not only immoderate plaintiffs who return nan guidelines successful May but besides their lawyers.

In a mobility seeking a gag bid past week, nan defense accused plaintiff attorneys of utilizing "publicity stunt" strategies to drum up a "torrent of allegations."

They singled retired Buzbee for live-streaming a property convention past period wherever anyone pinch claims was advised to telephone a "1-800" number. The hotline received 12,000 calls successful its first 24 hours, he told nan New York Post.

"We will fto nan allegations successful nan revenge complaints speak for themselves and will activity to spot that justness is done," Buzbee told BI this week.