🚨 A Conversation with Laura Coates

CNN Anchor and Chief Legal Analyst Laura Coates takes listeners inside the courtroom in her new podcast, Trial By Jury: Diddy. With cameras barred from the trial, Laura provides in-depth updates and expert analysis on every development in the case against Sean "Diddy" Combs, who faces charges of racketeering, conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.

The Inside CNN team sat down with Laura to talk about the trial and how she prepares to dissect weekly developments in her new podcast.

Laura, you and your team have closely followed this trial since it began on May 12. What has the experience been like covering such a high-profile case without the presence of cameras in the courtroom? Has it been challenging to keep up and take detailed notes in real time?

It's a huge responsibility to be the eyes and ears for the public on such an important and culturally impactful trial. In many ways, this is one of the first major post Me-Too trials, which asks jurors to strike a balance between the presumption of innocence and the presumption to "believe women." Setting my penmanship aside, intently listening, observing the witnesses to assess credibility, transcribing notes —all while distilling the information into digestible bites for the audience—is a challenge because every detail feels important for a case that could result in life imprisonment. It impresses upon you the weight of the civic duty we ask the jurors to perform.

As graphic details emerged during the trial, how would you describe the atmosphere in the courtroom?

The nature of graphic details that have emerged takes your breath away. The jurors inside the courtroom were stoic yet captivated. Contrast that with the general public viewing from the overflow courtrooms — they did not hold back for a second! Gasps, groans and forehead slaps were as common as exchanged glances of mutual surprise. Over time, the visceral reactions to the sex details waned, but hardly with respect to the violence that was described throughout various testimonies. The audience became desensitized to the information.

At the close of each court day, how do you prepare to break down the day's events and record a new episode of the podcast? What's your approach to shaping the story for listeners?

A great explanation requires reflection to identify the most important moments that have the highest probability of persuading the jury. I try to never miss the forest for the trees by putting myself in the shoes of a listener who is trying to gain insight and inform their opinions, not a graduate from law school! I pretend I am talking to my fellow curious flies on the wall who are in the midst of an exciting group chat. I want it to feel intimate, comfortable and authentically conversational at every turn.

Laura Coates - CNN Anchor Chief Legal Analyst

So far, what has been the most memorable or impactful moment for you during the trial?

The decision to dismiss a juror for not being truthful to the court about where he now lives, at nearly the conclusion of the prosecution's case in chief, was a total shock! We knew at the beginning of the trial how important the demographics and backgrounds of jurors might be in the strategy of the defense. Dismissing this juror in favor of an alternate at the 11th hour will present a potential appellate issue if he is indeed convicted. You can be sure the defense is keeping a list!

Jury selection in this case was particularly intense. As a former federal prosecutor, did anything about the process stand out to you as unusual or different from what you've seen before?

There are high-profile cases and then there's this one. It stands alone in Diddy's recognizability and the social universe relevant to the allegations in this case — perhaps even more so than President Trump's state trial just a year ago. The availability of a questionnaire, and more importantly, the prospective jurors' answers is the kind of gold mine trial lawyers dream of. It transforms jury selection from a crap shoot to chess.

What should listeners be on the lookout for next?

The million-dollar question on everyone's mind is whether Diddy will take the stand. We've been promised fireworks before, but something tells me there would be no comparison to his testimony! And what happened to Gina — the victim whom the prosecution never called to testify. Will she end up testifying for the defense? Will we ever know? Wait and see!

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