Celebrity News October 10, 2024
Diddy Remains in Jail, as Trial Date Is Set for May
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Sean “Diddy” Combs will remain behind bars, following a hearing in NYC today.
Combs has been locked up at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn after pleading not guilty to charges of racketeering, conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Judge Arun Subramanian did not have the rapper’s bail appeal in front of him, so Combs will stay in jail.
The judge has ruled that the rapper will remain detained for the duration of the trial, which is set to begin on May 5, 2025.
Prosecutors also revealed that their investigation is ongoing and it may result in additional charges.
The wire service reports that prosecutor Emily Johnson estimated the government's case would last around three weeks, while defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo said Combs' case would last around one week.
Combs’ lawyers previously claimed the government is leaking evidence to “taint the jury pool” at the music mogul’s trial.
In legal papers obtained by “Extra,” his team calls out an alleged “series of unlawful government leaks, which have led to damaging, highly prejudicial pre-trial publicity that can only taint the jury pool and deprive Mr. Combs of his right to a fair trial.”
The docs go on to claim “the most egregious example” of the leaks was the video of Combs assaulting ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in a hotel hallway in 2016. The video was leaked to CNN in May 2024.
The filing also included a footnote, “After the undersigned notified the government that we would be filing this motion, prosecutors responded that the video broadcast by CNN was not obtained through grand jury process and that DHS did not have possession of the videotape prior to CNN’s publication of it. However, government attorneys have not given any indication that they have investigated any of the leaks related to this case. And, as discussed, we are not suggesting that the U.S. Attorney’s Office itself leaked the videotape, but given all the evidence cited above, and the sheer number of agents involved in the investigation and the history of leaks, it seems entirely reasonable that the video was leaked by one or more DHS agents.”
Combs’ team also listed their requests, “(1) an evidentiary hearing to examine government misconduct in connection with the leaks; (2) discovery of emails, documents and records in the possession of the government (including DHS) related to these leaks; (3) a gag order prohibiting government personnel from disclosing any evidence or investigative material related to this case to any member of the media; and (4) suppression of any evidence leaked by government employees in violation of Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 6(e) or any other law, rule, or regulation.”
