NYC-bred star defense attorney Joe Tacopina turns – Business News
Star defense attorney Joe Tacopina has represented a US president, a baseball legend and an iconic pop star — however he turned down Sean “Diddy” Combs when the rapper got here calling.
The Brooklyn-born legal eagle, recent off getting A$AP Rocky acquitted on gun costs, knowledgeable Combs final month that the timing of the blockbuster case didn’t work for him.
“I think he has a defensible case,” Tacopina advised The Post.
Joe Tacopina is a Manhattan-based defense attorney who costs high-powered purchasers $2,000 an hour for his providers. REUTERS
He additionally dismissed hypothesis that his determination was influenced by his close ties to Jay-Z and Roc Nation, calling such rumors “misconstrued.”
Jury choice in Combs’ federal intercourse trafficking trial continued on Tuesday in Manhattan, with opening arguments scheduled to start Monday.
Combs is alleged to have used his wealth and affect to recruit, exploit, and abuse ladies, typically coercing them into sexual acts by way of threats, manipulation, or power between 2004 and 2024.
He has pleaded not guilty and employed a high-powered legal workforce that features Marc Agnifilo, Teny Geragos, Brian Steel, Alexandra Shapiro, Xavier Donaldson, Jason Driscoll, Anna Estevao and reportedly Mark Geragos.
When requested concerning the deserves of the federal government’s case in opposition to Diddy, Tacopina sounded skeptical.
“The entire case, I tell you, rises and falls on consent. It’s really that simple,” Tacopina stated.
Tacopina advised The Post that he turned down a request by Sean “Diddy” Combs to symbolize him at his federal intercourse trafficking trial. REUTERS
“I believe the defense has ample evidence of consent, including rare communications that contradict the allegations. That’s my view.”
According to Tacopina, federal prosecutors are utilizing the RICO statute, which was initially created to deliver down organized crime figures, with a purpose to indict Diddy “for having parties.”
Tacopina stated that the costs have been introduced in opposition to Diddy in order that federal prosecutors might “get their names in the paper” on condition that the rapper is a “big target.”
“I do think he’s getting a raw deal,” Tacopina added.
Combs has pleaded not guilty to costs of main a 20-year racketeering conspiracy involving intercourse trafficking, whereas opening statements are scheduled for May 12. REUTERS
It’s no marvel that Diddy sought Tacopina’s providers. The Brooklyn native is recent off of one of his greatest triumphs — the acquittal of A$AP Rocky, who confronted more than 20 years in jail on weapons costs.
Tacopina nonetheless remembers the surreal second Rihanna embraced him within the center of a Los Angeles courtroom simply after her associate and the daddy of their little one was discovered not guilty.
As she wept tears of aid, she wrapped her arms round Tacopina, buried her face into his designer go well with, and whispered, “You saved my family.”
It was an emotional climax to a hard-fought legal battle, however for Tacopina — who takes pleasure in his meticulously tailor-made Italian fits—there was one disadvantage.
“She’s crying on my lapel,” he recalled with a chuckle. “When she pulled back, I saw the entire Fenty color palette on my jacket.”
Tacopina embraces his consumer A$AP Rocky after his acquittal on felony assault costs in a Los Angeles courtroom on Feb. 18. Getty Images
Jokingly, he advised her she owed him a new go well with.
“Joe, I’ll get you 10,” she replied.
Tacopina advised The Post that he could hold the the tear-stained lapel in his workplace as a memento.
It’s simply one other chapter within the profession of the Brownsville native who has constructed a popularity as one of the nation’s most fearless and in-demand defense attorneys.
Known for his fiery courtroom presence and unapologetic model, Tacopina instructions as a lot as $2,000 an hour—and his consumer checklist reads like a superstar energy index.
Tacopina’s roster of purchasers additionally contains President Trump — pictured her in a Manhattan court docket on April 4, 2023. Getty Images
Over the years, he’s represented everybody from Michael Jackson and Meek Mill to Alex Rodriguez and the Washington Commanders.
Tacopina’s identify drew headlines again when he efficiently defended former President Donald Trump in a civil lawsuit filed by author E. Jean Carroll.
In a uncommon courtroom win for Trump, Tacopina satisfied the jury that his consumer was not accountable for rape, a important legal and political second.
Tacopina with A$AP Rocky and Rihanna. Joe Tacopina
A federal jury, nevertheless, did discover Trump accountable for sexually abusing and defaming Carroll, awarding her over $88 million in complete damages throughout two trials.
Tacopina introduced that he’s presently representing rapper Fat Joe in a high-profile defamation and extortion case. He additionally lately joined the legal workforce of former TV host Wendy Williams as she fights to regain control over her life from a court-appointed guardian.
His path to the courtroom wasn’t a straight one.
Tacopina is the president and proprietor of the Italian soccer membership S.P.A.L. He acquired the membership in August 2021 and has been main its operations since then.
Tacopina poses alongside UFC champion Conor McGregor. Joe Tacopina
Tacopina initially set his sights on a profession in skilled hockey, taking part in briefly within the New York Islanders’ farm system.
But a debate class at Skidmore College modified every thing. A professor famous his reward for argument and urged him to contemplate law college.
Inspired, Tacopina learn “Fatal Vision,” a true crime guide that confirmed his calling. “It was the most fascinating thing ever,” he stated. “This is what I want to do.”
Now with over 120 trials beneath his belt, Tacopina credit his toughness and confidence to growing up in a powerful Brooklyn neighborhood. “I truly do not possess a fear gene,” he stated. A tattoo on his forearm reads: “I’m from the ’ville… Never ran, never will.”
For Tacopina, every case is more than a job—it’s a battle.
And whether or not he’s dealing with a federal jury or wiping make-up from a courtroom go well with, he reveals no indicators of slowing down.
