Sean “Diddy” Combs cherished to play robust man when he was on high, however wanting down the authorized barrel at life behind bars if discovered responsible of sex-trafficking and extra, the incarcerated Dangerous Boy Information founder now needs extra time earlier than his day in court docket.
In a brief letter, the “Been Across the World” performer’s protection group Wednesday requested a federal choose to for “a 2-month adjournment” due to new proof launched by prosecutors with the most recent superseding indictment in opposition to the much-accused Combs.
From the friction between the protection and the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace on the instantly known as arraignment of Diddy on April 14, Combs’ Marc Agnifilo- and Teny Geragos-led authorized group made it clear it needed to hit the pause button on the proceedings. Choose Arun Subramanian gave them 48 hours, aka right this moment. Additionally, unsurprisingly, the feds need issues to maneuver forward with no extra delays.
“The federal government opposes our proposed affordable adjournment request, regardless that it’s nonetheless producing discovery, together with discovery on Depend 4 — a 15-year obligatory minimal rely — and has indicated, over our objection, that it’ll not produce the reveals and witness listing due right this moment, or further 3500 materials, whereas this request is pending,” the closely redacted letter states. “Below these circumstances, with discovery seemingly incomplete on a 15-year obligatory minimal rely, we can not, in good conscience, go to trial on the scheduled date.”
“This can be a downside that the federal government has created, but it opposes our affordable request.”
As of now, Combs’ trial is about to begin with jury choice Could 5 and opening statements Could 12 in Subramanian’s courtroom. In reality, in a facet be aware to the brief letter from the protection, the choose acknowledged: “Pending this Friday’s convention, the events ought to proceed on the present schedule, together with making all required disclosures. As for the evidentiary difficulty pertaining to Sufferer-4, which was first delivered to the Court docket’s consideration Monday, the Court docket may even deal with that difficulty at Friday’s convention. If Combs has a renewed software for that proof that addresses some or all the Authorities’s objections, the Court docket will promptly think about it. SO ORDERED”
Arrested in a Manhattan lodge foyer by NYPD and federal brokers in September, Combs initially confronted claims of racketeering, intercourse trafficking and transportation to interact in prostitution. After failing to get out on a $50 million bail package deal, extra fees have been added by the turbulent U.S. Legal professional’s workplace over the next months. Constructing off the rapidly settled ($30 million) assault and abuse go well with and extra from Sufferer-1, aka former Combs girlfriend Cassie Ventura, SDNY prosecutors allege that Combs and his aides coerced girls into marathon sexual encounters known as “freak-offs.” The classes included female and male prostitutes, drug use, threats of violence and imprisonment within the lodge rooms the place the acts had been staged and videotaped.
Up in opposition to dozens of civil actions over sexual assault and abuse allegations, Combs has put forth a plea of not responsible on each one of many fed’s indictments, together with the latest superseding one among earlier this month. “These are the identical people, former long-term girlfriends, who had been concerned in consensual relationships,” a spokesperson for Combs unhappy final month about witnesses the federal government intends to name. “This was their non-public intercourse life, outlined by consent, not coercion.”
After providing an apology final summer time over the CNN-revealed Los Angeles lodge safety footage from 2016 of Ventura being crushed and dragged down the hallway by Combs following a supposed freak-off, Combs and his group have now declared the video was edited by the cable newser and must be inadmissible. CNN has bluntly mentioned they didn’t edit the fabric. Ventura has made it clear she’s going to testify, if and when the trial begins.
Attempting to shift focus, the protection earlier this yr asserted that prosecutors are utilizing “racist” legal guidelines in opposition to Combs and looking for to “police non-conforming sexual exercise.” On February 24, the protection took a swing at “unconstitutionally broad” search warrants that had been used on Combs as a part of spring 2024 raids of his Los Angeles and Miami houses, units, digital storage and extra.
The U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace had no touch upon the letter from Combs’ protection group Wednesday when contacted by Deadline. In the event that they don’t place one thing within the docket quickly, you might be certain the prosecution could have one thing to say at Friday’s listening to.
