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Combs: "I'm innocent"

Puffy's lawyer tries to discredit key witness

NEW YORK (CNN) -- During more than four hours of cross examination Friday, defense attorneys tried to discredit the lead witness for the prosecution of Sean "Puffy" Combs.

Thursday, limousine driver Wardel Fenderson testified that he saw the rap star place a gun in the waistband of his sweatpants after a late-night shooting at a nightclub near Times Square during Christmas week in 1999.

Friday, Combs' lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, tried to raise doubts among the jury members that a gun could have been supported by sweatpants.

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Brafman also tried to highlight inconsistencies between Fenderson's testimony during the trial and his earlier testimony before a grand jury.

The defense has called the driver "a simple man with a simple plan" in an attempt to make him appear to be motivated by a quest for money.

Standing before the jury, Brafman reminded Fenderson, 42, that he is being sued for $100 million by one of the shooting victims ... and he made Fenderson acknowledge his pay was being garnished for failure to pay roughly $67,000 in child support.

Later, Brafman took Fenderson to task for filing a $3 million civil suit against Combs for, among other things, assault, battery and emotional distress.

Fenderson testified that he accepted and then rejected a $50,000 bribe that Combs offered him to claim ownership of a gun found in the car.

At first, he agreed, he said, because he was "not in a rational mind. I was a deer in headlights. I didn't know which way to go."

At one point, tempers flared as Brafman questioned Fenderson about how close police were standing when Combs allegedly offered the bribe.

When Assistant District Attorney Matt Bogdanos objected to Brafman's estimate, Brafman boomed out, "Behave! Behave! Behave!"

After a warning from Judge Charles Solomon, Bogdanos referred to Brafman's tactics as a "cheap Legal Aid trick."

Brafman responded, "Your honor, I got my training at the Manhattan District Attorney's office."

"This is litigation," Brafman said. "It's not a prom dance. It's tough litigation."

For the first time since the trial began, Combs addressed media. "I wanted to just reiterate that I'm innocent and I look forward to next week when we can finally get to put our case on," he said.

The defense is expected to present its case Thursday. About a week later, the jury is expected to begin its deliberations.

This is the second week of witness testimony in Manhattan Supreme Court where Combs, 31, is being tried on gun possession and bribery charges.

Combs is not accused of the shooting at Club New York in Midtown Manhattan, which followed an argument. Combs' bodyguard, Anthony "Wolf" Jones, 34, is charged with illegal gun possession and bribery. Rapper Jamaal "Shyne" Barrow, 21, who was not in Combs' vehicle, is charged with attempted murder.

Actress-singer Jennifer Lopez, according to witnesses, was in the car that night but was not charged with any crime.

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