Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs asks to be released from prison until his trial

On November 9, 2024By Pranco

Sean “Diddy” Combs once again renews his request to be released from prison earlier than his own Criminal trial from May 2025.

On Friday, Combs’ legal team filed another bid to free the hip-hop mogul The Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn by proposing what they called “an extremely substantive, comprehensive bail package.” Combs’ previous attempts to get out on bail have been rejected by several judges.

According to federal court documents reviewed by USA TODAY, Combs’ attorneys added more conditions to their previous bond proposals to argue he is not a flight risk. They also denied that he was a danger to society by providing government evidence his alleged crimes – extortion, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution – do not carry as much “weight” as they have suggested.

Combs’ team also claims that his detention “makes trial preparation impossible” due to his inconsistent access to his legal counsel and the evidence presented against him.

Diddy’s lawyers are proposing a $50 million bond, house arrest and no internet access

Friday’s renewed bail request marks Combs’ fourth attempt to be released before trial two requests around the time he was charged and a profession filed with the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in September.

This latest proposal, like the previous one, offers a $50 million bond backed by Combs’ stock and his mother’s homes in Florida, implementation of a 24/7 monitoring service by approved security personnel, no internet or telephone access for Combs outside meetings with legal advisors. Counsel, a pre-approved visitor list consisting of selected family members and surrendered passports of the rapper and his family members.

This latest offer also states that Combs is willing to participate in “full home detention” at his $48 million home in Miami “or at a suitable location in New York.” His family visits would be monitored by his assigned security, and Combs would be subject to “testing for a controlled substance” if necessary.

The first time Combs requested bail was U.S. Magistrate Judge Robyn Tarnofsky sided with American lawyers’ argument that Combs posed a risk if released to house arrest. The next day, Judge Andrew L. Carter Jr. – who has since recused himself from the case – also ruled against Combs, ruling that no amount of bail could guarantee that Combs would not tamper with witnesses.

Last month, Federal Appeals Court Judge William J. Nardini ruled denied Combs’ request for immediate release pending the court’s decision about his application for bail. Nardini referred the motion to a three-judge panel within the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.

Lawyers: ‘Impossible’ for Diddy to prepare for trial while incarcerated in the Metropolitan Detention Center

Combs’ team argues that conditions at the MDC, where he has been held since he was charged on September 17, are not conducive to adequate preparation to defend himself in court.

They point out that Combs does not have access to a “compliant” laptop they provided a month ago so he can “review discovery critical to his defense and trial preparation.” His lawyers also claim that frequent searches and lockdowns in prison prevent him from meeting with them and also from having access to materials such as pens and notebooks.

“Even assuming that Mr. Combs is given a laptop and counsel is able to share critical discoveries with him and visit him every day, uninterrupted, at the MDC, it will be impossible for Mr. Combs to process this incredible amount of evidence under the assess current circumstances. ‘, his lawyers write.

Diddy’s lawyers dispute that the government’s evidence is proof of crimes

They also argue that the “23.5 terabytes of discovery material,” including video evidence, that Combs’ attorneys received from the prosecution is not as incriminating as the government has suggested.

The partially redacted filing appears to point to the government having unspecified evidence related to Combs and his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, who accused him in a November 2023 lawsuit of rape, abuse and sex trafficking. In May, CNN released Hotel surveillance footage from 2016 shows Combs kicking, punching and dragging Cassie.

New evidence provided by prosecutors to the defense, Combs’ attorneys say, undermines their claims that the images showed the aftermath of one of Combs’ “freak offs,” or forced sexual performances. The rapper’s legal team described earlier the images of the attack as evidence of a toxic long-term relationship rather than evidence of sex trafficking.

One of the prosecutors, Emily Johnson, said at Combs’ hearing on September 18 that “the events of March 5, 2016 are strong evidence of human trafficking, a recorded example of the defendant’s use of force in connection with a panic attack.”

Prosecutors have said they interviewed 50 witnesses and victims and obtained “dozens” of videos showing Combs’ alleged freak-offs. They also allegedly obtained at least 130 phones, laptops, tablets, iCloud accounts and other devices during their investigation.

Combs’ lawyers are also calling for him to be reunited with his loved ones, stating: “Sean Combs’ seven children and his mother love and support him and need his love and support. … His minor child , now 2 years old, has not been able to see her father since he was in prison and misses him very much.”

Diddy loses another request for a gag order

On Friday, the judge overseeing Combs’ federal criminal case dealt a blow to his defense by denying charges their request for a gag order that would ban potential witnesses and accusers from making public statements.

Although the defense sought an order that would “prohibit prospective witnesses and their attorneys from making out-of-court statements” that they say “substantially conflict with his right to a fair trial,” Judge Subramanian said the law is a does not support such a broad request for relief.

“The order sought here is incredibly broad, treats potential witnesses the same as their attorneys, and impacts a range of ongoing cases,” he wrote.

Subramanian added: “Not all alleged victims will participate in this case, and a blanket restriction on their speech will silence individuals who may never have anything to do with the proceedings here. And in any case, less restrictive alternatives should be considered and rejected. before imposing a restriction on speech.”

In a previous orderthe judge refused to impose a gag order on government agents, whom Combs’ team accused of leaking information to the press. Instead, he wrote, both sides are expected to comply with existing laws that prohibit attorneys, investigators and government agents from disclosing grand jury proceedings and disclosing non-public information that could undermine a fair trial. disrupt.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support to survivors and their loved ones in English and Spanish at: 800.656.HOPE (4673) and Hotline.RAINN.org and in Spanish RAINN.org/es.